


Crawling Back to You

by heroes_never_die



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, WandaVision (TV)
Genre: Angst, Attempt at Humor, Attempted Kidnapping, Avengers Origins: The Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Character Death, Childhood Trauma, Civil War (Marvel), Dark Comedy, Dark Magic, Episode: s01e01 Episode 1 (WandaVision), Explosives, F/M, Father Figures, Fluff and Smut, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Guilt, Gun Violence, Gunshot Wounds, Human Vision (Marvel), Hurt Wanda Maximoff, Hurt/Comfort, Hydra (Marvel), Marvel Universe, Mental Health Issues, Minor Injuries, Minor Wanda Maximoff/Vision, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Battle of Sokovia, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Civil War (Marvel), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Pre-Wanda Maximoff/Vision, Presumed Dead, Protective Vision (Marvel), References to Depression, Romantic Fluff, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Hatred, Sharing Body Heat, Sokovia (Marvel), Sokovia Accords, Superfamily (Marvel), Survivor Guilt, Sweet Vision (Marvel), Talking To Dead People, Thanos Dies (Marvel), Tony Angst, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Wakanda (Marvel), Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug, Watching Someone Sleep
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:48:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 27
Words: 106,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28878987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heroes_never_die/pseuds/heroes_never_die
Summary: Wanda lost her brother, she lost... everything, really. But then... then something new comes. A vision, the Vision. She never thought she could love someone again... she was proven wrong.
Relationships: Avengers Team & Avengers Team, Bruce Banner/Thor, Clint Barton & Wanda Maximoff, Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton/Pietro Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Thor & Avengers Team, Vision & Avengers Team, Wanda Maximoff & Avengers Team, Wanda Maximoff/Steve Rogers, Wanda Maximoff/Vision
Comments: 37
Kudos: 137
Collections: I SEE RED. (a wanda/vision rec list.)





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> ayo! so this is something new, i'll upload once a week, since most chapters will be long and i have a bunch of other stuff going on atm. occasionally i'll open up some requests for chapters, so that if this gets any sort of popularity, you guys can come in and ask for a specific chapter. this is going to be mainly wanda/vision, since i really loved wandavision and civil war with them, but i couldn't find anything I liked reading, so, why not write it? i hope you guys enjoy it, more coming soon!

_Brother. Hero._ Those are the words they used to describe him. Stark would’ve gone for something like _victim, ‘he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.’_ She knew those words, she thought she knew all of this, she’d gone through all of it with her parents. But this, the fresh grief that screamed in her was something unprecedented. It felt like her heart had been ripped out and sewn back together cell by cell with iron wire.

It was raining, of course it was raining. Why wouldn’t it be? Words were coming from somewhere, somewhere in the back of her mind she could hear words… maybe it was him. Maybe if she damned the entire city and just went with him… maybe it wouldn’t be raining. 

Wanda could still hear their screams, her parents. The clink of her fork against the porcelain plate and the sound of a foolish sitcom steaming from the old television. And then, the roaring of a dragon and a deafening crash of glass and metal. Fire swarmed the hole and they were gone, but he wasn’t. The same couldn’t be said now: Pietro was gone. After her parents, she’d had him. Now, she was in a strange place, with even stranger people. Though, of course, none of them amounted to her. None of them were monsters, no matter what, they tried to do good. Maybe it couldn’t be said for some of them, Stark, probably… when she joined Ultron, she trusted that he -it- would fix it. He’d fix what Stark did, and now, her brother’s bullet-ridden corpse was laying in a casket four feet from her. 

A hand was on her shoulder; she tore it away. Umbrellas and patios hung over the service, and the canvases deflected the rain. Her hands begged to tear all of it down, to tear every single person there who was pretending to care about her brother. ‘ _Did you see that coming?’_ Clint asked as Pietro was sent through the glass flooring, and cuts appeared on her brother’s forehead from the fractured structure. Clint stood beside her and Wanda thought for a second, she saw a tear. For a second, a scarlet shade swarmed in her eyes and she screwed her eyes shut, shaking her head. 

It didn’t feel real, it was like this was just a bad dream and she’d wake up. They’d be back in Sokovia, and Wanda didn’t know if she rathered to be in that lab, with doctors and scientists pricking her with needles. The looks they gave her, the chains that hung around her wrists, they were killing her slowly… and she wished she was there, because he’d be there with her. _Miss Maximoff._ Someone called her and she looked down to the rings pressing against each of her fingers. _Miss Maximoff._

This was just a charade, everything was just a show and the curtains weren’t closing. Part of her almost smiled, it made sense. It made sense that she was the last one standing. She was trapped by strangers, though perhaps she was safer here, or… the world was safer from her. “Miss Maximoff.” Someone shook her and just as she was about to stand, Wanda turned. Two piercing, teal eyes stared back at her. Or… the illusion of eyes, they were really lines of code made to picture the human body: Ultron’s new body. “I apologize, I thought you might like some company, what with…” The illusion’s sentence trailed off and Wanda almost felt herself smile. 

“Wanda.” She corrected him, but part of her was unsure if she could even hear him through her dry tears, or the pain in her voice. If she really tried, she thought she could hear the whirr of a machine. The machine -the man- wasn’t dressed as he had been before, but Wanda didn’t even have the energy or will to change. She still cloaked herself in the same clothes she’d been wearing when he died. It was like a message that rang in her head and in a split second, part of her had been stolen and ripped away from her, never to return. “Vision.” She spoke, remembering the name that man had called him -Thor, that was his name- and looking into the android’s mystical irises. 

“Yes, Miss… Wanda?” He corrected himself and watched her carefully as she tried to remember what she’d first been trying to tell him. He wore a dark tie and suit, and shined black shoes. His red skin was still tainted into a scarlet shade, matching that of her own powers. The trickle of the rain was audible from beside the casket and in a split second, Wanda slowly moved down to crouch beside the casket. She wanted to see: Wanda wanted to see him. Her fingertips crept along the priceless wood and she cracked it open. “Wanda, I don’t know if-” 

She shushed him, and in an instant, he hushed into a silent state. His eyes were open: no one shut his eyes. The misty gray irises pierced her own and whatever tear she’d been holding back silently spilled over her smooth cheeks. “It’s funny.” Wanda spoke, taking her brother’s hand that had been tucked into his chest and holding the skin. It was affixed with a cold shade and her breath shuddered. Her other hand moved over her lips and her tears spilled onto the pale fingers. “We wait. We wait years, we wait for Stark… and he walks away.” Wanda spoke, looking into Vision’s eyes and seeing the absent sense of sureness in his pupils. “All of us escape, and the only one who deserves to… gone.” Her accent paints her words and it only reminds her of home. 

She had one photo of the four of them, mother, father, sister, brother. She wondered if she even still had it, or if it was lost in the warfare that had occured not even a week ago. “Mister Stark tries to save who he can. It does not mean he always does it right, I suppose no human is harmless.” Wanda picked her head up and she released Pietro’s hand, clinging to the last sense of safety she’d ever hold for a long time. 

“You don’t defend him? Even if he created you?” Wanda asked, slowly letting the casket close and standing. Vision accompanied her and he met her eyes, even if he was taller by a near-considerable margin. “Does a slave not praise its master?” Her voice was a shred of what it had once been, shredded down to its last decibel. It was dead now, much like anyone who’d ever held care for her. 

“Well… I suppose I just am something new.” He spoke softly, almost like anything too loud would break her and for the first time since his birth, she really looked at him. Any attempts to talk to her -made by anyone- had been torn away and for the first time since _his_ death, Wanda spoke without feeling like she was being treated as an infant. “Would you mind if we get out of the weather? Water isn’t good for my circuits.” 

It was an attempt at a joke, she realized. Wanda smiled. She actually smiled, and took a first step. “Alright.” Wanda replied and they both moved forward, staying beside each other. 

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

_This is… large._ Wanda thought, staring up at the monstrous anatomy of the building before her. The others had gone inside and she was left standing by the raven-shaded car. “Wanda…?” It wasn’t the smooth, english tone: it was Clint. Wanda’s eyes shifted toward him and her eyes squinted for a second. _Pietro died to protect you._ Wanda repeated that fact in her mind as Clint moved back towards her, outstretching his hand; she didn’t take it. “Do you want me to…”

“Can I just have a room?” It wasn’t audible, she was sure of that. Clint nodded, and she watched every single cell division in his body. She read him, and she read pity. That was a word she was sure she’d become familiar with in the coming time. She’d never been one to receive pity, she was one to make someone wish she had any. The building was seemingly made of glass, and reflections imprinted themselves on the floor. Through the ceiling, she could see herself, and he looked away. They stopped in front of a door, and dust was collecting on the knob. 

What was she doing here? Pretending to be an Avenger? Pretending she belonged anywhere else than that casket, with Pietro. “I could stay with-” 

“Thank you.” Wanda spoke, and she forced herself through the door, shutting it behind her. It was a girl’s room, the room that would belong to someone her age. It was quite empty, but it was more luxurious than anything she could dream of in Sokovia. The air was warm instead of freezing to the touch, and her nose wasn’t indicted with frostbite. She searched her mind, she searched for any trace of Pietro in her mind. The last time she’d read him, it was love. Now all she could feel was the non-existent cold. 

She missed Sokovia, even if it was the place of her parents’ deaths, even if it was the place where she was treated like an animal. Surrounded by heroes… that’s where she was. She was surrounded by killers; killers she’d fought beside. Wanda realized she now, too, was a murderer. The first time she killed was when she was twelve. Two years, that was the experimental process, it was where they stripped one’s mind so that the body and strength was apparent, and resistance was nowhere to be found. _Just need to survive. Day by day._

And that was the first time she tried to go to sleep. The comforter was made of silk, and it felt as if she could melt into it. The sheets were composed of warm, soft cotton, and quickly, her consciousness had vanished, even if she protested against it. 

_‘Come back for me when every boat is filled, not a second earlier. Do you understand?’ ‘Y’know, I_ am _twenty minutes older than you.’ Wanda smiled and she let out a small laugh, but shook her head. She could feel each trace, even if there was no life in the enemy. Ultron’s voice haunted each of the puppets and in an upward jerk of her hands, one of the metallic mannequins was sent up into the ancient stones of the church. ‘Go.’_ Don’t go. _Wanda asked, but he was already gone. Wanda was alone again, and with that damned machine whirring in the center of the church, she readied her fingers. She couldn’t move, she tried so hard to propel her legs forward, but he was already gone in a flash. ‘Pietro.’ She called out, and she realized that time around her had stopped. All of the puppets surrounding her flashed with what looked like lightning, and all of them were gone._

 _The sky above zoomed through time, descending from day to night to day to night. Wanda tripped forward, and she realized she could move. Her legs made her sprint towards the boats… where_ it _happened. What if she wasn’t fast enough? Was any of this even real? Any Ultron that tried to make its way towards her was cut off by a jerky motion, and soon after, their bodies exploded in mechanical rust. “Pietro!” Wanda called and suddenly, snow began to swarm in the city, and the atmosphere was covered by a misty layer of snowflakes. This only made it harder to see and she rushed through the blizzard, finally making it to the corner where it happened. “Pietro.” Her breath shuddered, and she rushed towards his body._

_His own blood decorated her skin and hands and she clasped her hand over her mouth. “Hey, hey.” She whispered, shaking him slightly as the snow continued swarming around them. “Brother, get up.” She hissed, shaking his muscles and meeting his eyes. They were long gone. “Don’t leave.” Wanda repeated desperately, taking his hand and holding it close to her as she wept softly. The snow’s screaming left, and the blizzard ceased, leaving them in a calm ‘winter wonderland.’ “Stop.”_

A small shudder escaped her lips and she jumped up, almost tripping over the sheets and placing her hand on the bedside beside her. There was a glass of water that she had not placed there and it fell against the fuzzy carpet. She gasped and shot her hand forward. A scarlet blanket wrapped around the water, and it was slowly transported back into the glass. Wanda laid her head back against the pillow and shut her eyes, shaking her head and wiping tears she didn’t realize were there. 

_What am I supposed to do now?_ She asked herself, hiding her head in her hands and escaping the hot prison that the blankets held her in. The room was large, and two doors led to a balcony outside. She realized a blanket had been laid upon her whilst she was sleeping and she hung it on her shoulders, covering her large t-shirt that draped down to her knees with it. The cold air met her face as she pushed her way onto the balcony. The twinkles of a city could be seen in the distance and Wanda’s fingers tangled with each other. “Y’know you’re pretty good with that.” A voice referred to her use of her powers, and Wanda spun around, seeing Steve on the stone balcony behind her. “Sorry, didn’t mean to… scare you.” He leaned on the railing beside her and looked out at the city, heaving a deep sigh. 

“It’s the middle of the night, what are you doing up?” 

“What are you doing up?” He asked, and she quieted, looking down to her hands. Her silence answered her question. Steve leaned about four inches from her, and she could feel his eyes on her, but she looked away. “Kid, the hardest part about this job is… you can’t always save everyone. Someone will end up hurt.” His voice was gravelly, and stubble had begun to grow on his face. “Listen, it might not be what you want to hear right now, but… you have a place here.”

Her head picked up and she looked into his dark, serious eyes. They looked tired, and she realized that Steve really did mourn her brother. “It’s not right your brother was the one, but… you have people who care about you here.” 

“What, Stark?” She snorted, shaking her head and looking down. But when she tried to think of a different solution, she couldn’t: there was nowhere else to go. “And how do you know he won’t make another Ultron?” She asked him in a dead tone, meeting his eyes. Her shimmering eyes were reflected in the moonlight and she stood straight, crossing her arms. “If he had left well enough, Pietro would be alive.” Her accent spoke, and part of her wished it would disappear, it reminded her of all she had lost. 

“That’s true, but it’s also my fault. It’s Barton’s fault, it’s everyone’s fault. No one would’ve been able to change what happened, not you.” Steve spoke in a gentle -yet rough- tone, and he looked into Wanda’s eyes, seeing a subtle shade of scarlet wrap her irises. “I would’ve wanted someone to help me, when I got my powers. So… I can help you, kid. You’ve got a family here.” He spoke, taking a second before retreating back into her room, and eventually she heard the door behind her close. _It’s… not my fault?_ Part of her thought Steve was lying, and that was the better part of her. _I need to make this right. Pietro wouldn’t want me to walk away. I can help people here._ Wanda looked down to her hands, and she played with the scarlet flow that emerged from the skin. 

_I can have a place here…?_ Wanda asked, and she looked back to the small bag of things that she could call hers. She made her way off of the balcony, back into her room. She sat on the warm comforter and slung the bag onto her lap, looking through it. A photo: one of Pietro and her, in the nursery they’d had, before Stark destroyed all of it. A small stuffed bear her mother had gifted her when she was an infant, clothing, and a necklace Pietro had gifted her. _If so, I should get settled, then._ Wanda strung the photo up on a collection of strings, and took her scarlet red jacket from her bag, resting it on a coat hanger. 

A fuzzy white carpet trembled under her feet and she mixed her toes into the fabric. _I can do this._ Wanda tried to assure herself, and as night turned to day without any more sleep, she slowly turned her room into her new ‘home.’ It had to be eight or nine o’clock in the morning, and the chirps of birds were sounding from outside. They didn’t have that a lot in Sokovia, the sound of warfare was always echoing from… somewhere. After she finished changing, she wore leggings, a short, flower skirt, a black t-shirt and a violet, oversized jacket. But suddenly, a whirring sound entered the room and when she turned around, she saw Vision staring back at her. 

She was caught off guard and screamed, jumping back from him. “There is a door.” Wanda breathed, placing her hand over her eyes and shaking her head. 

“I apologize, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Vision’s soft voice greeted her ears and she took a deep breath, shaking her head. “Mr. Rogers asked me to fetch you.” He explained, looking around the room and realizing that she’d refurbished it. Vision was dressed in a polo shirt and khakis, and he stood straight. His scarlet skin was illuminated under the sunlight, and Wanda looked up at him, a small crooked smile on her lips. “For training.” He explained, and her eyebrows raised. “I can accompany you, if you want.” 

“Alright.” Wanda agreed, reaching out to open the door but it swished open at her movement. The hallways seemed dead at first, but she then saw Steve at the end of the hallway, and others walking around, attending to their business. All of them had moved on already. They all forgot Pietro’s loss and here she was, barely able to breathe. “So… don’t you have to practice, or… train, or…” 

Vision shook his head, looking up to the glowing stone lodged in his head. “My body can move in two nanoseconds, it is very unlikely I’d be bested in combat.” Wanda smiled up at him and he looked down to her. His irises were looped with teal silk, while hers were amber and reflected in his own pupils. “I was programmed for combat, humans are not.”

“Some are.” She corrected, looking into his eyes and stopping for a moment. Something was… _there._ There was something there that wasn’t in anyone else’s eyes, not Barton’s, not Steve’s… no one. “Soldiers.” Wanda remembered the wartime in Sokovia, which was usually always. Pietro and her sometimes joined the protests, but they never ended peacefully. 

As they traveled down the hall, Vision’s height towered over her, since she was still only nineteen. “And are you? A soldier?” Wanda’s eyes averted away from his and she looked down to her hands. Scarlet color danced from the tips of her nails, wrapping around her fingers and forming polynomial figures. 

_Am I a soldier?_ She asked herself, remembering the hundreds of civilians in Sokovia, surely one of them hadn’t made it out, and that was because of her. “I used to be. In those labs, they made us kill… but I don’t want to do that anymore.” The thoughts in Vision’s head changed, Wanda felt pity. They made her wear a straight jacket, no matter how hard she fought, or her brother: they were treated like animals. Shocks were given if they misbehaved, and if they rebelled, the punishment was worse. Food was gifted when they complied. 

“But you’re scared the others are.” Vision stated, looking deep into her eyes and connecting with her. The stone seemed to glow brighter at their strong gaze and before either of them could break them, Wanda recognized Steve’s voice calling her name from the end of the corridor. Her eyes averted towards the man and she looked up at Vision for a second before making her way towards the captain, and for a second, Vision stood there, his gaze following the girl. _What… is this?_


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is the definition of living...?

The knife clattered to the floor and she frowned, trying to pick it up and slice it through the air once again but she failed. The metallic chime met her ears and she groaned, tightening her fists. “Dammit. I’m not getting this.” Her accent was still thick and formed her words, and as she tried to toss the small blade, it clattered to the floor again. 

“Okay: so try again.” Barton shrugged, bending down and picking up the scalpel. “If you don’t think you’re going to get it, you won’t.” His voice was gruff and when she looked into his eyes, he broke the gaze. It had been a week, and she was  _ trying  _ to move past what happened in Sokovia. Whenever she thought of anything  _ except  _ Pietro, her heart felt like her blood was being drained and it was hard to breathe. No one really treated her with such pity before, besides Steve, and Bruce. Bruce’s interactions with her weren’t exactly… extensive. 

Wanda supposed it was fair: she’d seen the destruction the beast had caused in Johannesburg, under the charade of her powers. She knew what that guilt felt like: it rang through her after Sokovia. Wanda had a television in her room, and she saw the things they called him: monster, killer… she saw the things they called  _ her.  _ With Sokovia, Strucker’s experiments had been revealed, and now, her picture joined the Avengers. She supposed she really  _ was  _ an Avenger now, and all of the consequences that came with that title were falling upon her. “Alright… fine.” Wanda murmured and she took the blade from him, readying her aim. 

Barton sighed, moving behind her and placing her hand on his. At first she recoiled but then, she steadied and he moved her hand in front of the metal dummy. “Focus on keeping it in the air.” He ordered and she nodded, causing the blade to levitate with her scarlet grace. Red danced along the blade’s body and soon, she recoiled her hands, but the knife did  _ not  _ clatter to the floor as it had done prior. “Alright, try moving it.” 

Wanda sighed, pushing the blade forward and sending it into the dummy’s metal head. She smiled, dropping her hands and looking at the lodged blade. “Looks to me like you got it.” Wanda actually smiled up at Clint, and he gave her a small smirk. “Okay, guess you earned a break, Steve’s been working you for a while.” Wanda thanked him, and resorted to the kitchen. 

It was strange to have food without having to fight for it: that was how it had been in Sokovia, in the labs. Shock for misbehaving, food for complying. Maybe it was a mistake to volunteer, but Stark had to be eliminated. Wanda had seen him a few times in the two weeks she’d inherited a place in the Avengers building.  _ ‘Hey, I, uh… I know families are tough, so-’ ‘Don’t pretend to pity me now… I can see right through you, Stark.’  _

Her scarlet grip brought a small kettle and two glass cups to her. Water quickly boiled in the glass and she looked in the cabinets, grabbing different spices and bottles, pouring them gradually into the tea. Footsteps sounded behind her and she looked over her shoulder, seeing Vision’s humble figure walk towards her. “Greetings, Miss-” 

“Wanda.” She corrected him, and he nodded, sitting in the chair before the countertop she was slaving over. He watched her autonomy; it was like she knew each bottle by the weight and smell, and she didn’t even need to read the labels. “Here, would you like to…?” She asked, noticing how his eyes were averted to the moss-colored tea. Steam drifted from the kettle and Wanda stirred it before placing the china top onto the container. “It’s Romani tea, Pietro’s favorite.” 

“I’ve never actually consumed food before.” Vision admitted, placing his sleeved arms on the granite countertop and looking at her warm, welcoming gaze. “I don’t believe it would be very beneficial for my systems, though I’m sure your tea is lovely.” She smiled, and poured small cups of tea into two china glasses, placing one beside the kettle… for Pietro. 

Sometimes Wanda thought she could hear Pietro’s voice calling out to her from the inner depths of her mind. She thought she was going crazy, but… part of it felt real, it felt like things he would say.  _ ‘You can do this… get back up, we keep fighting.’ He called to her during training, his voice clear as the difference between night and day. She stopped, -froze- and felt herself falling to the ground as the fighting dummy struck her. ‘You are pulling your punches.  _ Fight. _ ’ Footsteps sounded beside her and she felt a hand pulling her up. ‘You good, kid?’ It was Steve, and she met his piercing blue eyes. Before she could think of anything else, she simply pushed past him, retreating towards her room with fear distinguishable in her features. ‘Wanda!’  _

“Ah, that makes sense.” Wanda nodded, sipping the steaming tea and cringing slightly at the hot temperature. “So, you know… everything…” Wanda shrugged, pulling her lips and looking up at him with a small smile. Wanda felt better than the black hole she’d been absorbed in a week prior. It was funny, y’know? She used to think something like this was impossible: a place to belong. That used to be Pietro, but he was now six feet under. There was nowhere for her now, but a certain few meant to prove her wrong. “What do you think… think there’s an… Afterlife?” Wanda whispered softly, taking another sip of the tea and imagining Pietro beside her. She could see his face in detail beside her, while everyone else saw air. They walked through him but for every hour of the day, his eyes followed her.  _ ‘You like it here, sis?’  _ He would ask her, but she never responded. The body she saw flickered, sometimes it was his normal self, and sometimes it was his corpse with a small flicker of life in his dead eyes. 

Vision hesitated, trying to think of something to say. He was programmed for combat, he was meant to be a ‘suit of armor around the world,’ not a friend. He enjoyed his developing friendship with Wanda, the young girl was sweet and welcoming. A smile was rare on her face, mostly since the wound of her brother’s traumatizing death hung over the troubled youth. The Avengers as a team took Wanda under their wing, even if some of them engaged with her a little more than others. Wanda enjoyed spending her time with Vision, when she wasn’t training with Steve or Agent Romanoff, who scolded Wanda to call her ‘Natasha.’ “I believe that… there is consciousness after death. ‘Heaven’ has dozens of different names, it just depends which one you decide on.” 

Wanda breathed for a second, watching the man carefully before nodding, taking a final sip of her tea. “Thank you.” Her voice was soft and hydrated, and it brought a small smile to Vision’s red-tainted skin. He felt something odd, a warmness in him, and it wasn’t his central-processing unit overheating… It was a new feeling that he had never experienced, though he  _ was  _ less than a month old. “So, you  _ sure  _ you never have to train? It’d be nice to see that stone of yours in play.” 

Vision smiled, but he shook his head, brushing the amber stone imbued in his head. “No, this would destroy any living organism in nanoseconds.” He rejected her and released his finger from the stone, dropping it to the counter. The granite’s patterns were chafed away by his fingernail, until he ceased the movement. 

“So… that’s a challenge, then?” She shyly asked and he chuckled, but the smile that curled her lips soon disappeared. “I should get back to my room, it’s getting late.” Wanda murmured softly, taking her kettle with her and lacing her fingers around both china cups. “I’ll see you at training tomorrow, then.” He smiled, watching her turn her back towards him and listening to the slaps of her socks against the hard, smooth ground. 

“Urm, thank you for the tea…” But he was almost sure she was too far away to hear his voice. Wanda descended down the hallways with her loose hoodie slowly stripping down her bare shoulders. She wore a tank-top underneath that descended down to her light blue skirt and leggings. Darkness was beginning to stretch over the sky and seclude the horizon in darkness. Stars twinkled through Wanda’s glass door, and she stopped. For a second she just bore her eyes into the cloudy atmosphere, pondering over what Vision had given her:  _ ‘I believe that… there is consciousness after death. ‘Heaven’ has dozens of different names, it just depends which one you decide on.’  _ Was Pietro watching her, and not his double; the one who stalked her every second of the day, even when she was in slumber?

Wanda took the second, full glass of tea and set it on her desk. The other one -which was close to being empty- lived beside it and she stared down into the cup. From the cup she could see her own reflection and she shut her eyes, clenching her fists. “I’ve brought you a glass, it’s the tea Mother made us.” Wanda whispered, looking out towards the stars and she seized the full cup, escaping onto the balcony. Wanda set the china onto the flat, glass railing and heard the clink of the material against the cup. “I’ll leave it for you.” She murmured, looking up at the constellations. 

_ ‘That one is… the North Star. Remember Father telling us about it?’  _ Any sentence her brother had once told her now echoed in her head like a lost song. They rumbled deep in her, and it was almost like they weren’t her memories, they were their own separate entity. She wasn’t sure of what to say: if some part of him was watching her, what would she be able to say to make him feel even a tiny bit better. “Goodnight, Pietro.” She sighed sadly.  _ What was I expecting to happen?  _ Wanda asked herself, shaking her head and retreating back into her room.  _ ‘Goodnight.’  _ Her head spun around back towards the cup of tea standing on the railing, but not a drop had moved.  _ I’m going crazy.  _

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

“You’re pulling your punches, Steve.” Wanda shook her head, propelling her hands forward and robbing the man of his shield. Steve smiled, a shine of pride on his face at the success from the young girl’s straining. “Try to land a punch, this is growing boring.” 

He smiled and shrugged, trying to sweep her legs but a scarlet shade swarmed his legs, flipping his body upwards and turning him over. Steve groaned when his body hit the stuffed floor and Wanda dropped him, gasping softly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” She took his arm, helping him up and surprising herself when she saw a small smile on his face. His eyes looked into her irises, which had been colored a scarlet red. 

“That was pretty good, kid.” He chuckled, brushing his hair back into its part and taking his shield from the matted floor. “You’re getting pretty good… think you’re Avengers material?” Steve asked her, looking into her eyes and pretending to rub his cheek, he wanted to get her to smile more after the horrifying death of her counterpart, her brother. 

As the training came to a close, she pulled her soft kneesocks back on, as they weren’t well for fighting in. The fabric took away almost all of the friction that held her to the ground, even if Steve was going easier on her. “I hope so, or people could die… are you sure I’m ready? I’m not sure…”  _ Lagos.  _ Steve said she was prepared for her first assignment, ‘ _ there’s no better practice than learning with experience,’  _ as he stated it. “In here, no blood is spilled if I fail. Out there, innocent lives are at stake.” It wasn’t for a few weeks, a little more than a month, but Wanda felt like a bud pushing itself from the trunk of the team, and it felt like she didn’t belong.

_ I can’t stay in this building forever.  _ The only times she went outside was when she was visiting Pietro’s grave. “It’s scary, I get it… but, your powers are unique, they’re what make you stand out. You’re an Avenger. We watch each other’s backs. You’ll do fine, kid.” He looked into her amber eyes and after a moment, he broke the contact, turning back around and removing the wrapping from his knuckles. One of the metal dummies beside Wanda was dented and the young girl inspected it, marveling at the brute strength. 

“Gee, looks to me like your ass just got royally kicked.” Called a voice from above and with the feature of shocking ginger hair, the youth recognized Agent Ro- Natasha. Natasha swooped over the railing landing on her feet like a feline and approaching Steve. “New information. Got Task…”

Their conversation tuned out of Wanda’s head and she looked down to her hands, clearing the red mist and releasing her irises from their scarlet prison.  _ Blood will be spilt if I don’t perform.  _ She didn’t expect this to happen so soon, it had only been a little over a month since Ultron… since she lost Pietro. Sometimes, maybe once a week, she would lose the ability to breathe as she was swarmed with images and memories of her brother. 

Sleep didn’t come easy, she had gone to Bruce, asking her if there was anything -any supplements- that would aid her, but the man rejected her. Wanda supposed it was fair enough, their relationship was anything but positive and she could still hear the beast’s roars as she wrapped her scarlet chains around its head, and then, a city was decimated. Sometimes the nightmares would be of Pietro, sometimes they were memories; moments that took her back to those labs, to Strucker’s experiments. Long syringes pressing into her joints, painful laces of electricity running through her veins… it was all there, trapped in her mind. 

It was odd, during her nightmares, she could hear Pietro’s voice calling her, lulling her to consciousness and away from the night-terrors. “First assignment. See the old man is slaving you away already.” Barton’s voice met her ears and she looked up, her copper hair flowing from her roots. 

“Yeah, I suppose.” Wanda smiled anxiously, zipping her hoodie up to her collarbone and seeing Clint was dressed in a flannel and jeans. “New sense of fashion?” She joked softly, removing the dirtied wrapping from her knuckles. Steve was trying to teach her hand to hand combat, though how important was that really, with telekinesis. 

“Goin’ back home… for a little, at least.” He explained and she stared at him for a second, nodding her head. Clint and her had grown a friendship and it was unsettling that he was leaving. She’d made  _ some  _ friends, but really, Wanda just stayed on her own path. Vis always went out of his way to speak to her each day, and he was a little more chipper than the other ‘heroes.’ “Oh, don’t miss me too much… I’ll be back in a few weeks… just gotta take a little break.” 

“Will you tell Laura I said ‘hello?’” She asked him and he rewarded her with a small smirk. Barton was similar to herself, he stuck to himself, maybe that's why their personalities agreed so well. All of the team had invited her in, she was like the child of the group, but she’d seen and done far too many things to be called that any longer. But it wasn’t like the others didn’t treat her like that, Steve treated her like a little sister, even if she barely knew the man. She had only been in the building for a month and a half, close to two. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get Pietro’s dead eyes out of her brain. 

Barton slowly led her away from the training floor, and she heaved one of his bags over her shoulder. “Y’know, you should come visit… think Lila likes superpowers a  _ little  _ bit more than arrows and bows.” Wanda smirked, and as they stood beside his car, he sighed. “I gotta go, kid… take care of the old man for me.” Wanda smiled sweetly, and Clint gave her an awkward hug for a second, it was a little more over a month since they’d met, and even though Pietro only died a month ago, Wanda wasn’t sure if she would’ve made it without Barton’s stupid, witty jokes everyday. 

“Don’t die just yet.” Wanda bid her goodbye and Barton smiled, slipping into the humble pick up truck and giving her one last look. Wanda waved and he nodded, soon pressing the accelerator and moving away from the building. Wanda stood there for a second, watching the empty spot. Barton and her weren’t that close, but they were friends. He helped her in Sokovia, during the battle when she would’ve fearfully coiled away onto one of those boats, not having done anything to help the team. 

Some part of him felt  _ safe  _ to her, but now he was leaving. Vision remained, he saw Wanda each day, and actively went out of her way to make sure she did more than training every day. Steve had her doing rounds, mostly to prepare for any mission or assignment that could show its ugly head. But still, nightmares taunted her each time the sun went down and she needed to fix that. She needed to make things right with Bruce anyway. 

Wanda headed back into the building, feeling the sun wave to her back. Sun wasn’t really common in Sokovia and she almost smiled up at it. The stairs were constructed from glass and she almost felt like she was a child again, and like she’d break something with her touch… part of that was true. She could hear the doctor’s thoughts from the end of the hall, pounding away.  _ Wonder if he’s slaving away on another Ultron.  _ Her mind tempted her but she shook her head, levitating those thoughts away and exterminating them. 

Her fingers met the glass door but she forgot they opened at movement, and her fist fell past the door. “It opens by itself… forgot.” Wanda whispered anxiously, seeing Bruce’s figure bending over a glass table. Holographic figures and equations lifting with the touch of Banner’s fingers, and she pressed herself into his mind, but she couldn’t hear or see anything.  _ He locked me out.  _

“Won’t work.” Banner turned around to her, his eyes a pale -yet fiery- hazel. Wanda swallowed and she made her way from the door frame to a few feet beside Banner. He continued his work, shaking his head and adjusting his glasses so that they laid flat on the bridge of his nose. 

“I came… I want to apologize.” Wanda murmured, her accent swaying through her voice and pouring through Banner’s ears. “I know I’m in no place to-” 

“No, you’re correct, you  _ are  _ in no place.” He cut her off, turning around to her and pressing the holographic keys of the table, bringing up a series of videos and news files. Wanda saw a horrific green beast tearing through buildings, carelessly forcing itself crowds of people with no care for the lives he was potentially ending. “Seven dead. Almost one hundred injured, most put in local hospitals, well… the ones I didn’t destroy.” She bore her eyes into the dust-covered, terrified faces. Her eyes affixed with a slight scarlet shade and she felt a deep pressure imbue itself in her heart. “... one child… his name was Henry.” 

Her head picked up and before she could do anything, tears pricked in Wanda’s eyes, pooling just below her irises. “I know; I don’t expect you to forgive me, Dr. Banner. I just… look, I have nowhere else to go, I’m staying here, and I don’t… Stark killed my mother… murdered my father. He said he’d make Stark pay. I didn’t think about the consequences.” Wanda murmured, thinking back to the iron frame of Ultron and his cold, frightening -yet soothing- voice. “I know all of their names… I hear what they say on the television, about you… for the record, you’re not a killer. If I didn’t taunt you those people wouldn’t be dead.” 

Bruce looked into her eyes, searching for that blood-red hue he could distinctly remember in his mind, and then everything disappeared and he could just hear the terrifying, ape-like roar of the Hulk. “Yeah, well…” Bruce sighed, shaking his head and turning back around, continuing to slave away at his work. “I’m sorry about your brother.” Her expression stilled and it was stuck in that same, dead face that had become so common the past few weeks. 

“Yes… thank you.” She murmured, and when he returned to his work, she could tell -for the time being- that would be the only forgiveness she’d be gifted with. “About that… Natasha said you might be able to help, urm… like anything to stop… dreams, maybe?” Wanda asked him and he slowed for a second, watching her through the corner of his eyes. Though, she was extended out of the view of his glasses, so she wasn’t defined. “Or… not, that’s okay-” 

“Wait, I… might have something left over.” He sighed, moving to a discreet cabinet of the lab and jamming the drawer open. “Here… no refill.” Wanda walked over, graciously snagging the bottle and holding it close to her sweatshirt. The bottle shook and she could hear the rattle of pills inside the plastic. 

_ ‘Prazosin, _ ’ it read. The bottle had no recipient listed, but Wanda assumed that Bruce had not picked them up from someone else, as there were a few pills missing from the bottle. “So, urm… What are you working on?” Wanda asked as she approached the door and it slid open at her movement.  _ Opens on its own.  _ She nodded, forgetting once again and making sure not to stand in the slitted doorway of the frame. 

“We’re not friends.” He announced and she nodded, murmuring a departure and sliding out of the room, feeling relieved and tense at the same time. Her footsteps were alone in the corridor and she sighed, shutting her eyes. Wanda found it frightening that she couldn’t remember her parents’ faces anymore… would that fact be the same for Pietro in a few months? The only thing she could recall was that her mother had striking dark hair with a fair shade of pale skin. Her eyes were hazel, much like Wanda’s. 

Mr. Maximoff was less definitive in Wanda’s mind: all she could remember was the smell of poorly crafted cigars and oil, since he worked in a machine shop. Life felt… odd here. Life was almost pleasant and that only made Wanda feel guiltier. Maybe these pills Bruce had gifted her would take the continuous ring of Pietro’s sentient voice in her head away, and she could finally get some quiet. That probably wouldn’t be true. In her train of thought, she didn’t notice the quiet ring of footsteps behind her and when she stopped walking, someone bumped into her and the bottle of pills flew. 

The bottle halted in the air and a scarlet sheet brought it back to her hands. “My apologies, I didn’t see you, Wanda.” She turned around, seeing a blood-red hand reaching out towards her. She accepted it and soon felt her body being pulled from the ground. “Are you alright?” 

“Yeah, yeah, no harm done.” Wanda smiled, shrugging and dusting herself off. “What are you doing up so early, then?” She asked and soon, they simultaneously continued walking down the hallway, their footsteps as one. 

It was only eight or nine A.M, which was a perfectly reasonable time to be awake but for some reason, any idea or prompt of conversation left her brain when she bumped into Vision. “Oh, well… I was trying some of that, urm… training you’d been telling me to do.” She smiled and nodded, holding the bottle away in one of the large pockets of her sweater. “And you?” He asked her, regaining himself and straightening the lines of his clothing. They had grown a… friendship of sorts, or at least, started to care for another. With each day that passed, their conversations grew longer, and Vision succeeded in making her smile a little more.   
“Dr. Banner had… something for me, would you like to… do something?” Wanda asked him, seeing that he was free for the rest of the day and truthfully, her life recently had been a rinse and repeat. Training with Steve, hearing Pietro’s voice echoing in her head, sleep. Somewhere in there was a conversation with Vision, or Clint, or Natasha, whoever decided she looked pathetic enough to talk to. Steve pressured her to do something, to _fight_ or join them on one of their ‘missions,’ but she enjoyed having a place to stay. 

Wanda only had the reminder of Pietro’s loss every day to deal with, but she didn’t know how to live. She’d argue she had never lived once before, in Sokovia, each day was waiting for the one second that she would finally starve in that house. That house where the television blasted foolish sitcoms every day, it was where she first learned her english, with Pietro. The walls smelled of dirt and they were treated with a small level of the same. “Something…?” 

“I’m not sure, what… what do people do?” She asked and looked anxiously up at him with a small smile. He returned the expression and slowly, they continued down the glass hallway, their footsteps slapping against the hard flooring. “Um, would… you like a… movie?” She asked him with her accent painting her words and he smiled, continuing with her towards the lounge room. 

“Well I cannot promise the consumption of popcorn, but… yes, I would enjoy watching a movie with you, Miss Maximoff.” She looked up at him and he caught his breath, reprimanding himself. “My apologies… Wanda.” He corrected his words and soon they compiled themselves beside each other, and Wanda tried to live what she thought was an ‘american life…’ much like the ones she’d watched as a child in her sitcoms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, guys! thanks so much for reading <3 this chapter wasn't my best work, i'm trying to decide what sort of feeling i'm going to apply to this, compared to my other stuff on my page, so i promise that next chapter will be a bit more high quality. i won't have much of everyone besides barton and vision with wanda, and some other characters occasionally, mostly steve, so i'm sorry if the writing for those characters isn't too good :/ also can we talk about epsiode three of wandavision, i simp too much for that show. OK, before i start ranting i'll cut myself off, thank you everyone for reading! also, btw, i AM currently taking requests for chapters atm, which won't be a thing soon, so if you have anything, get em in now <3


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda fears going outside the borders of the new safety she's fabricated and that leaves her alone while the others are off on missions, 'avenging...' who was it that thought she could be one of these heroes again?

“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea, Steve.” She smiled for a second anxiously, looking down at herself in this… costume. It was a deep, dark scarlet red coat and leggings. She was dressed like one of these… heroes. “I’m sure you don’t need me there.” _Three months._ Not one foot outside of the building, not _one._ This was her safe space, alright? She was safe here. Out there wasn’t safe, out there was the world that took her parents, and took Pietro. Out there wasn’t safe. _I should never have left._

“Don’t be so tough on yourself. You’ve been working for this. Give yourself a chance, kid.” She placed her hands on her hips, looking at the captain in his marvelling blue-green eyes and heaved a deep sigh, looking towards the array of quin-jets and piloted crafts waiting… they were all waiting for her. She wasn’t ready. Besides, Vision wasn’t attending the mission either, he’d been tasked with ‘staying behind,’ mostly due to Steve’s paranoia to trust the android, after Ultron, at least. “Or not… no one’s forcing you.” 

Wanda sighed, looking down at the coat and slowly taking it off, leaving her in her t-shirt. “I think I’ll sit this one out, old man…” Steve smirked at the name and he put his hands on his hips, giving Wanda a small smile. “Don’t wait up.” 

“Alright…” He nodded, giving himself a second before turning around. His outfit wrinkled in its textiles as he left the building and Wanda watched him go, turning around. _Maybe I should have gone._ She shook her head at that thought and clenched her fists, seeing scarlet webs emit from them and drift through the air. _When did I become like this?_ She asked herself, hearing a shift in the steps above her. 

“Apologies, I didn’t mean to startle you… again. Though, I suppose that’s quite hard with this red… abomination.” Vision smiled and she ihd away her magic, smirking up at him. “Captain Rogers is correct… you are very powerful… you may even best me in combat.” Wanda’s lips curled up into a gentle smile and as Vision descended down the steps, Wanda nodded, continuing her dance with her scarlet silk and looking at the magic pensively. “You’re special, and that is a good thing… you know that, correct?” 

Her eyes met his and then they averted back down to her palms and her ruby aversions snapped back into her skin. “I wasn’t always like this. I used to have a life… before those experiments, and those labs…” She exerted a breath and shook her head, pushing away the experiments. “They engineered us into… monsters. Killers… pets.” 

Vision sat beside her in front of the kitchen’s island and she looked into his eyes, searching deep for anything. It was odd when she felt something ping in her… something she couldn’t name. “Do you know, I remember being born?” He asked, and scooted his chair closer to hers, but this time she didn’t shy away. “I can remember the feeling of life… crawling into my veins, or… circuits.” He nervously chuckled and for a second a smile made its way onto Wanda’s face, but it disappeared soon. “But… I fought to get up, and I did, and now we’re here… what I am trying to say, is… not everything comes so easy, but… you’ve made it so far, and… well, Miss Wanda, I believe that’s quite special.” _You are._

Their eyes met and Wanda studied his deep, canopy green-blue eyes. When she read him, she no longer saw the destruction of the world. She could feel the raw power of the stone imbued in his head, She could also feel empathy in him, and that fact was what made her _sure_ that he was so much more than just a machine. “Well… thank you. And for the record…? I don’t think you look like a… ‘red abomination.’” He returned the favor and the corners of his lips tugged up. 

For a moment, once again their gaze connected and she smiled up at him. And then, out of nowhere from the level below, there was the sound of an ear-shattering explosion and from the gaps in the floor and the staircases, a pit of fire and explosion swarmed upwards, barely striking Wanda and Vision, who had sat on the glass steps. Wanda screamed at the sudden explosion and from the pressure, both of their bodies were thrown into the air. Vision quickly caught himself and in a nanosecond had caught Wanda in his arms, holding her close. She coughed from the smoke that was now drifting through the air and slowly, opened her eyes, realizing her location. “T-thank you.” She whispered, slowly letting herself go from Vision but staying in close proximity to him. The android ducked his head and he looked back to the staircase, seeing sparks and balls of fire littering the lower glass steps. “What happened?” 

“I’m not sure… are you alright?” He asked, lending her his hand and pulling her up easily. She brushed glass and debris off of herself and fixed her hair behind her shoulders. Finally, Wanda nodded, letting out another cough from the smoke. “Here.” Vision took a handkerchief from the counter and handed it to Wanda, who pressed it against her lips to cover herself from the apparent smoke and spots of fire. “It is possible there was a problem with the electrical systems… I will go check.” 

Wanda followed behind him and Vision looked back to her, but then continued. “What do you mean ‘electrical systems?’” Wanda asked with her voice slightly muffled as they descended into the basement, where the smoke lived. _Hold on._ She thought, loosening the handkerchief and focusing on the smoke around her. In a moment, a scarlet blanket was covering the smoke and she pushed it up, clearing it from the blanket. 

“Ah, here we are. Simple wiring malfunction.” 

“That would cause an explosion?” Wanda asked as she saw Vision connecting wires in the circuit-board, sparks spurting from the wires occasionally. “Some pretty serious wiring…” 

He nodded, connecting more of the contraption and soon, fire suppression systems sprayed through the air and the sprinklers activated, dousing the fires. Water sprayed down onto Vision and Wanda and she smiled, giggling for a second and covering her head. She stalled the water with her touch and quickly scurried up the steps, giggling. “Come on, don’t want your circuits to freeze up or whatever.” She smiled, beckoning him up and he followed after her, both of them doused with water. 

“Well, I can say… this evening hasn’t exactly gone to plan.” Vision spoke and Wanda smiled, draping a towel around her shoulders above her clothing. 

“Ah, and what was the plan, then?” Wanda smiled, wiping her arms off with the towel and winding her hair around the cloth. It was cold and she looked up to the slightly broken steps, carefully treading up them. “I think that’s been… enough action for me today. It’s late anyway, so…” 

“Goodnight, Miss Wanda.” She smiled and looked into his eyes, tightening her grip around her own hands and giving him a small curl of her lips. _Night, Vis._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much guys for reading! so, for these first three chapters i've kinda been determining things but now i think i know where i'm going. i was thinking of doing a few chapters like this, (maybe 1/2 more) and then doing Lagos and the very beginning of civil war, so, tell me what you guys think; do you want me to wait a bit longer and add some more fluff chapters -and some requests i'm getting on fanfic.net- or cut to civil war? as always kudos/comments are appreciated and have an amazing day! <3


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda fights against Steve's attempts to get her in an assignment fails.

_ Land a punch.  _ A voice in Wanda yelled but she simply dodged, making Vision phase through the air when she had to, but it wasn’t like he was trying to hit her either. It was her idea to train, she wanted to humor ‘his challenge,’ and his modest bragging of his ‘gem.’ The only  _ problem  _ was whenever she tried to dash Vision with her magic, it almost felt like it hurt her. Wanda’s powers were tied to the stone, so she supposed that made sense… maybe?  _ Sorry, Vis.  _ When he tried to rush back towards her he suddenly phased through her against his control and crashed to the floor, his head being the main sense of the strike and he groaned in pain for a moment of his time. “I’m sorry!” Wanda squeaked and she bent down beside him, letting the android rest his arm on hers and sit on the floor, regaining himself. “You alright there, Vis?” 

“No damage done, I assure you.” He smiled, dusting his clothing off and letting his cape fall behind his shoulders. “That was a rather well-orchestrated-”

Suddenly, Wanda hissed in pain, clenching her teeth and pressed her hand to her head, squeezing her eyes shut. “Wanda?” He asked and quickly straightened himself, standing and reaching her level. “... you alright there?” He quoted her and rested his hand on her shoulder as she clenched her eyebrows together. 

The quick second of pain oddly passed and she opened her eyes, seeing Vision’s teal irises staring directly into hers. She noticed his hands framing her face and she gently broke away. It was like a metaphorical blush hit his body and he retreated his grip, but the concern in his eyes was still surfacing with each nano-second. Wanda slowly began to realize that the warmth and flutter she felt in her chest when Vision was apparent wasn’t just a friendship… she felt like a schoolgirl, thinking like this. “Yeah, I… sorry, I don’t know what that was.” Wanda murmured softly, regaining herself and cleaning the small layer of glistening sweat off of her skin. 

She’d been training for weeks: two months to be precise. Every day was wake up, try to find a reason to get up and get dressed, train, and sleep. Somewhere in between that was some sort of interaction with Vision, maybe a call or a message from Barton… but it wasn’t much of a living. She had quarantined herself into the building, too afraid of what would happen if she were to expose herself to the outside world again. The outside world took her brother away, it took her parents… what if it took someone else next…?  _ Vision…  _ she thought and Wanda sighed, sitting on a small bench beside the training area. Her fingers hid themselves in her light brunette hair, and she covered her face with her hands. “Wanda… are you alright?” Vision asked and she heard his autonomous footsteps sitting beside her.  _ I’ve barely even met you… so why am I so afraid I’ll lose you as well?  _

“I’m sorry…” She took a deep breath and straightened her back, cleaning her messy hair. “I’m afraid to leave… they keep asking me… I’m scared that… it’s foolish.” Wanda shook her head, hiding her face in her hands again and perching her elbows on her knees.  _ I don’t want to lose someone again.  _ Wanda thought and at the raw mental mention of her brother, she felt a tear slip down her soft cheeks. 

All that came out was a sniffle and she smiled at her own pathetic mentality. “It isn’t foolish…” Vision assured her and this time, his voice was a softer pitch and it ran through her ears, soothing her. “When I was first brought to existence… I was fearful as well. All I could hear and see was… lightning coursing through me, and I fought the want to get up at first… but… now, that brought me here to you… and I certainly don’t regret that in hindsight.” Her soft tears ceased and she slowly dropped her hands, looking up at him. 

Her sleeves wiped the tears away and a crooked smile was affixed onto her skin. In the warm evening, the dying light of the sun bathed both of them in highlight, and her hair seemed to glow in his eyes under the sun. “Thank you, Vision.” She murmured softly, and it was the first time she hadn’t used the nickname she’d configured for him in minutes. “Alright… I’m sorry, that was… embarrassing.” 

“Can we make a deal, Wanda?” She met his careful gaze and dipped her head, beckoning him to tell her of this ‘deal.’ “When you are with me, do not apologize for being yourself…. Deal?” She pushed her lips to the left side of her face and took a long sigh, sending a painful smile up at him. 

“And what do I receive from this deal…?” 

“Ah, well… I was lulling the idea over in my head and with the benefit of hindsight, it has come to my attention that a wonderful Romani tea would be a delightful introduction to the consumption of food.” Her soft lips reflected tiny patterns of her skin in the sunlight and as they curled up, the tips of her front two teeth were exposed for a moment. 

Wanda remembered telling him about Pietro’s favorite dish, or… beverage.  _ ‘Romani Tea… it was Pietro’s favorite.’  _ With a moment of thought, Wanda nodding, sending her long ginger-brunette hair cascading over her training outfit. “Alright… I can get on board with that…” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for reading, everyone! im thinking of starting civil war in like 2ish episodes, and it's really nice to see people are enjoying this <3 new episode of wandavision was INSANE, geraldine got yeeted, i loved it :3 my friends and i are loving it so much, hope you guys are enjoying it ! okay, that's all for today! i've got midterms this week, so might stall for a few days, but i'm keeping up writing <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She had to see Stark eventually, didn't she?

_ I can do this, I can do this, I can do this.  _ “Alright… sorry if I drop you.” Wanda gave him a small smile and Steve nodded, keeping his grip on his shield. Steve started to push her further, or… Tony had.  _ ‘You need to get off your ass, you’re reminding me of my college days.’ ‘Tony-’ ‘You are  _ not  _ allowed to speak about being pathetic, Stark. I know I am being useless, I know I need to  _ wake up _. _ ’ _ She hissed her irises spiraling with a scarlet color as she rose her head to meet Tony’s eyes. ‘It is  _ your  _ fault that my family is now laying underneath the dirt… don’t test me, Stark.’ She seethed, releasing her death-glare and turning around, escaping the lab in a moment. Everyone had grown silent. _

“I can take it.” He assured her and she slowly began to lift him through the air with scarlet mist lacing underneath his legs and starting to press him up. ‘ _ Focus on getting me to the balcony, just that… nothing else.’  _ “Stay balanced.” He ordered her and she squeezed her features together, clenching her fingers together against the pressure and steadying him as he kept himself in a stable form. It was almost like this wasn’t the first time he’d done something of this nature. 

_ Almost there…  _ She thought, groaning from the weight of the man and the vibranium shield in his grip. She’d had a few attempts without the vibranium curse, and she could feel the difference of weight. Finally, he was centimeters from the balcony and Steve was able to leap himself and Wanda released her powerful grip from him, freeing his limbs. “Not bad, kid!” He called down, looking down on her from the balcony. The stress in her face whenever she employed her powers was apparent:  _ she was afraid of what she could do.  _

Wanda didn’t want to use her powers, because she knew when she utilized the gift she had been given, she would win without question. That was why she hid herself so much, the powers she had been cursed with excelled in ferocity, but she had not been shared with the same horrendous trait. “Yeah, thanks… so, uh… I’m guessing you want me to implement this… outside of training, then?” 

Steve leaned on the glass railing, looking down at her expression and seeing that she already knew the answer in her mind. “Listening to Stark?” She smiled, placing her hands on her hips and looking up at him. Steve slowly dropped down beside her, emitting a small grunt when he hit the marble flooring. “When I do things, people end up hurt… you could ask my brother about that.” She smiled weakly, looking up at him and seeing the empathy in his eyes. 

“Ultron killed him, not you.” Steve corrected her and she looked up to him, taking a long, grieving breath. 

Over the weeks, she had come to terms with it. Over the months, she had healed from it. Her prior solution was anger, but this unprecedented calm in the storm she had reached was something she took with immense gratitude. Part of her was unsure what exactly it  _ was  _ that had gifted that to her, but she took it without question. In the months she stayed as an ‘Avenger,’ in the days she trained hours and hours like one, voices echoed in her head, mostly one, but they were shared. Pietro, her mother, her father,  _ Ultron  _ occasionally.  _ ‘You can try running.’  _ Sometimes the voices would argue -scream against each other- in her head, and mostly, it was Pietro and Ultron’s voices waging war against each other.  _ ‘Shut up.’ Please, quiet.  _ Wanda would ask and occasionally they listened, but that was only on occasion. 

“Yeah, I know… but it doesn’t mean I’m not powerful… and I just don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing yet.” She responded, looking up at him and seeing the conflict in his eyes. “But, I’m going to get ‘off my ass…’ next time you need help… I’ll be there.” 

The ‘old man’ nodded and slowly rose, giving her a nod of pride. She listened to his footsteps echoing away from the bench she sat on.  _ Maybe this was a mistake… ‘Oh, it certainly was.’  _ A voice in her spoke and she turned her head, expecting someone to be there, Ultron to be there, but no one was present.  _ I am going insane.  _ She felt crowded in her own thoughts and Wanda growled, standing and pacing around the room. A clink of a glass sounded behind her and she spun around, seeing  _ Stark.  _ “Lookin’, uh… pretty miserable there, Zette.” She didn’t understand the reference, but she perfectly understood his mocking tone, the tone of zero accountability. “Congratulations on, uh, how’d I put it…? Getting off your ass, I believe?” He joked once again and saw that the poisonous glare that was affixed in her ravenous eyes had done nothing to change. 

“We aren’t friends.” Wanda told him, looking back at him with a red hue firing quickly in her irises, gaining luminescence. “Touch me again and it won’t end well.” 

“Are, uh… are ghosts supposed to come out of the walls now? Sparks? Everyone has their gimmick, I’m curious to see just what makes you qualified to be on here, besides eating an eighth of our food.” He murmured, turning around on his heels and jogging up the glass stair-cases. When he heard no footsteps behind him, the man turned around and raised his arms. “Well? That was an invitation, c’mon, Sparky!” He lectured, and after a moment of silent deliberation, she followed up the steps, her eyes still painted a dangerous and furious shade of crimson. 

“And, please, what makes you believe I would trust you for just a second, Stark?” She asked him as they ventured towards his lab, but she was only met with silence. She passed Vision’s room and she could see him through the doorway. Part of her asked herself what the hell she was doing with her parents’ -arguably her brother’s- killer. His footsteps reflected before her and in the shiny, dark flooring she could see her own reflection and looked into her own scarlet irises. 

They approached a door and Tony looked into a dark red scanner. It seemed to read his iris and soon, the door slid open, revealing a plethora of glowing, holographic tables and tablets. The only place that could replicate such technology was Hydra, and that scared her. “Alright, sorta a right of passage here, figure since you finally decided to ‘get up off your ass,’ I could at least give you the whole Avengers ‘shebang.’ I’m the one who makes everyone look cool, y’know-” 

“I don’t need your help, never will, Stark.” 

“Please, the rest of the team always calls me Tony… that or asshole.” He murmured under his breath and looked her up and down for a moment, making a mental list in his head of possible modifications. “Friday, upload schematics to the HUD, please.” He turned around, swiping through files and when Wanda inspected them she could see modifications for a suit of some kind. 

Wanda shook her head, laughing to herself and turning around, shaking her head. “This is… insane, I don’t need a suit, I won’t be the next Iron-Man-” 

“Oh, yes, I’m aware of that.” Tony nodded, swiping a holograph from the screen and in a second, the holographic shape had been fitted onto Wanda’s body. She waved it away in a second and backed away, looking at the clear outlines and waving it away. “Was thinking more of a less-old, slightly less boring Sabrina the Teenage Witch sort of thing you’ve got going on right now.” 

She narrowed her eyes and waved away the holographic suit that had once again reformed onto her body. “At the very least, you need something more than a… Hot Topic shopping spree.” He waved and he clapped his hands. A metal container crawled from the wall and he opened it, tossing the stuff behind him and onto Wanda’s body. 

She flimsily caught it and looked at the leather, scarlet overcoat. When she looked at the interior, there seemed to be insulation and wires hidden in the layers of the fabric. “Boosters, it’ll strengthen the synapses in your brain. Since your powers seem to be connected to the frontal lobe, it’ll do a treat. Can you tell me, just out of curiosity, how exactly you got your powers?” 

Wanda’s vision snapped up to him, shaking her head. He had no principle for any sort of human empathy or resistance in his words, and the glow of her red eyes grew in luminescence. “Ah, painful memory, then. I’ve had my fill with post traumatic stress, not fun, huh?” He nodded, waving it away and tossing her another article of clothing, a thick undersuit that was black, but it was made of what felt like synthetic fibers and protective labor. “I’ll get back to you with the rest of this, for now, get out of my lab. That’s a starter, try wearing it during practice, it can weigh down a bit, coming from someone with a titanium-alloy, ton suit.” 

Before she could even say anything the floor below her was being pushed towards the exit and before she could fight, the door was sealed. Speechless, she looked down and remembered the clothing in her hands.  _ Post… traumatic stress? Could those be the voices?  _ Wanda asked herself and she sighed, wondering of all of the horrors in her life,  _ which one had been the one to curse her with this?  _ Pietro, her parents, or -of course- those experiments. Finally she found her movement and remembered that she had a pair of working legs.  _ Try training with it, right.  _

She slipped into her room, quickly undressing and slipping into the outfit. It fit her and she wondered how Stark had even had or -wanted to- utilize the little time he had to waste on her. “Alright…” Part of her felt like an actual Avenger now, she had an  _ outfit.  _ With that thought, it made her feel even more like a child and she almost smiled at that. When she left the room, she realized someone had been standing outside, as she immediately bumped into them with a small  _ thud. Great start to being an Avenger, amazing.  _

“Wanda, I saw, urm… I like your… did Mister Stark, it looks… I like your suit.” He finally stumbled out and she smiled up at him, placing her hands on her hips and letting a crooked smile place itself on her lips. “Yes, your suit looks well-balanced on you.” He nodded, shutting his eyes for a moment and shaking his head. 

Wanda laughed softly and she took his hand, taking him down the hallway and not noticing the flustered look on his face. “Um… thank you? So, urm… I’ve been tasked with more… training, surprise.” She smiled nervously and looked into his eyes, raising her eyebrow with a charming smirk of her smooth lips. “Rematch?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for reading, everyone! requests are still open atm <3 there'll be an update probably tomorrow since i have a lot of stuff prewritten up until the beginning of civil war. i think i'm gonna focus on vision/wanda specifically and wanda and barton as i lead up to civil war, then after i'll focus on steve/wanda and other stuff like that. alright, that's all for now! have a good day <3


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She never should've went outside.

I can do this, I can do this, I can do this, totally got this one-hundred percent under control. Wanda tried to assure herself, but when she looked at the life buzzing around her, the civilians, she knew she never felt more sick. There were people here, children sitting with parents in tables beside her… those people were collateral damage, that’s what Tony called them. But these people had lives. They had homes to return to after work, they had children, they had brothers and sisters, and they were all mere feet from her. They were all in her hands, her deadly hands. “Alright, what do you see?” Steve’s voice in her ear asked her and she lifted her cup, taking a sip from the warm coffee and cringing at the bitter taste.  
People bustled around, people just lived their lives… the Avengers had come to change that, for better or worse. Two squad cars were posted just outside their building: small police precinct, nothing out of the ordinary. “Regular B-Cops… small station.” Wanda murmured into the earpiece lodged into her head and she looked back down to her table, settling it on the metal table. Just stay calm for one more hour, and you’re an Avenger. “Quiet street.” There were no large buildings or skyscrapers, though in the small corner of Nigeria they’d settled in, it was peace. Quiet peace and quiet people living quiet lives. “Good target.”  
There was a rustling on the other side of the audio and Wanda looked up, inspecting each one of those officer’s faces carefully. “There’s an ATM on the souther corner, which means-”

“Cameras.” Wanda finished, stretching her neck and from the corner of her eye, she could see the machine Steve mentioned. She didn’t like that Vis was the only one who wasn’t permitted to leave. Tony argued against it, but after Ultron, the team was paranoid. He was quarantined to the Avenger’s building and as hardly as he fought to be there on the mission, Tony was in a tight spot. ‘Sir, please, if you would allow me to join, I believe that I could assist and do-’ ‘It isn't that I don’t trust you, it’s that they don’t. Just sit this one out, buddy.’ Vision chewed the inside of his lip, turning away and pacing out of the room, his fists tight.

“Cross streets are one way-”

“Compromised escape routes.” She nodded, looking down at her table and sitting up slowly. ‘Look, it’s just get in, get out… keep your head down and your eyes open, that’s your job.’ Newspapers were laid out on the metal appliance and she fingered the old paper. ‘Police Stations Robbed: Work of New Villain?’ Wanda had been staring at this man, his picture, for days, fearing her own ability to strip his skin down to the last atom and drown him in his own blood. His name was Crossbones. Steve hadn’t told her much, just the mission and the necessary information. She felt like a child. ‘Weapons sold to Terrorists.’

Steve sighed on the end of the line and she played with her nails anxiously, taking another sip of the bitter, black coffee. “Means our guy doesn’t care about being seen, he isn’t afraid to leave a mess on the way out.” Wanda nodded, taking a shaky breath and shifting in her seat. Keep your head on your shoulders. “See that Range Rover halfway down the block?”  
Wanda rose her head and she spotted a scarlet vehicle at the end of the corner. As vehicles whizzed by, it ducked in and out of vision, nothing looked immediately suspicious. “It’s cute.” She shrugged and heard another breath in the side of her ear.

“It’s also bullet proof, which means private security, which means more guns, which means more headaches for somebody, probably us.” Wanda slowly swiveled her head and saw Natasha looked into her eyes. She was dressed in a beige overcoat and Wanda looked down at her own clothes. Underneath was the uniform Tony had fabricated for her, It was tight and metallic, and she didn’t like how it felt. It felt like she was an Avenger, and it made her fearful.  
“You guys know I can move things with my mind, right?” Wanda asked, narrowing her eyes and turning away from Natasha. They were babying her, she had been training for months and she was being treated like some infant. It was her first assignment, and it was also the first time she’d been outside of the building beyond Pietro’s grave.

“Watching your back needs to become second nature.” Natasha lectured and Wanda pressed her lips into the tea glass, then set it down. It made sense why they didn’t trust her. The last time she tried to do something right, dozens of people ended up dead… how did they know that would change this time around? Their conversation blinked out and Wanda looked down into the depths of her glass, taking a deep breath.  
Suddenly there was a clatter and Wanda looked up, hearing the devious honking of horns and yells of anger. There was a garbage truck running down the street and Wanda raised her head, seeing Natasha do the same thing. “Sam, see that garbage truck? Tag it.” Wanda swallowed and she impatiently awaited the man’s response.

She hadn’t grown particularly close with the heroes in her time spent with them, really just Vision and Steve. Barton occasionally messaged her, or called her, but he was with his family; Wanda didn’t wish to burden him. “Truck’s loaded with max weight, driver’s armed.” Sam’s voice came through and Wanda nodded her head, sitting up and waiting for orders.  
Steve was very clear to only follow her orders and perform not a single thing more. “It’s a batting ram.” From the corner of Wanda’s eyes, Natasha sat up and took in the sight of the truck.

It slowly picked up speed and Wanda’s breathing spiked. She realized now how comforting the four walls of that Avengers’ prison had become to her and part of her regretted accepting this offer. “Go now.” From the edge of her sight, Wanda could see Sam far away with his wings now extended. And then, it all happened in a second. The colossal truck approached the gate to a large building nearby: Institute for Infectious Diseases. “He’s not going after the-” Steve’s words were cut off by the truck suddenly slamming its core into the gate of the building.

Dust and debris streamed down through the air and Wanda stood, hearing orders in her ear to rush forward. She nodded, following Natasha, and that was when the shooting started. Two large trucks came into Wanda’s vision and armed men rushed out of each one, with large rifles. Get the civilians out of the way. Keep them safe. As she sprinted towards the building, she wrapped scarlet pressure around her hands and lifted herself up. Air sailed through her hair and soon, she was illuminated in the sky, flying beside Sam.

Gas erupted from small grenades that had been shot through the glass of the large building and Wanda swallowed. ‘You’ve gotten in over your head.’ Shut up. A voice in her argued and she pushed it away, focusing. “Body armor, AR-15’s, I make seven hostiles.” Steve uttered through the earpiece and Wanda looked to her left, meeting Sam’s eye. He ducked his head and in a moment, there were bullets sailing around their bodies.

Sam twirled through the air and used the sharp ends of his wings to impale one of the men, and their body fell to the ground with a monstrous roar of pain. Her hands danced around her and Wanda pressed the pressure of her powers against one of the men’s necks, dragging him through the air and sending him towards Sam. “Sam!”

He landed beside her with the man’s unconscious body, and they approached the entrance of the building. “I make five.” Sam corrected through his earpiece and Wanda realized she’d just aided in someone’s killing. They were monsters, but monsters still had families: serial killers still had children. “Rumlow’s on the third floor!”

Steve landed beside her and their eyes met. She nodded, backing up and preparing herself. “Wanda, just like we practiced.”

“And what about the gas?”

“Get it out.” He ordered, preparing himself and soon feeling his body be surrounded by blood-red lace. Steve sailed through the air with the pressure of her powers and Wanda settled him in the broken windows of the battered building. Noise surrounded her and she focused her signature on the toxic oxygen trapped inside of the building. Innocent people will die if I do not do this right. As she rose, she could feel the gas fighting back against her. A small moan of pain escaped her and she clenched her fists, rising them around her body and maneuvering her body so that the gas followed.

The glass shattered as the toxic poison escaped the concrete corpse and she wound her arms around herself, spiraling it into the oxygen and soon evaporating the air. “Not bad.” Wanda turned around, seeing Sam had been watching and she nodded, catching her breath. Sometimes Wanda wanted to know when it was exactly that she had become like this. So… powerful.

She didn’t like the power. Wanda knew she would win and that terrified her. “Rumlow has a biological weapon.” Steve’s voice came through to her and she looked up into the atmosphere, taking a shaky breath and catching the air that was trying to leave her lungs. ‘Focus.’ A voice in her spoke and she turned around like someone had literally whispered it in her ear, but she found no one was there. Sam had ran off into the blue blanket that enveloped the earth and slowly, with jerky movement, she followed. “Three leaving the building. Romanoff?”

“On it. Kid, tag along with Steve.” Wanda nodded, pressing her hands together and moving her body through the air with an untrained jerk. I need to work on this. Maybe I could ask Tony… Stark, maybe I could ask Stark for some… wings? No, nevermind. Forget that. The marketplace was full of screams and she blew the debris away with her powers and soon, a scarlet shade had enveloped the market, clearing the obstacles. Civilians sprinted from the market and Wanda nodded, hearing gunshots and yelling not far away. Steve’s close.

“He ditched the gear, it’s a shell game now, one of them has the payload.” Steve’s voice was graced with static in her ear and she swallowed hard, continuing with her order. ‘Stay with Steve.’ Just as she was about to ask, he suddenly came launching through a stand, knocking fabric and the tied boxes of goods around the area. There was a man fighting him, she recognized it as Crossbones immediately. His metal mask was stripped and she saw severe burns racing down his skin.

The veins in his face were painted with a dark shade and it stood out like a blaring alarm.  
Steve pushed him down with his shield and held the metal to his throat. Pus and large bumps were protruding from Rumlow’s skin and Wanda stood behind Steve, watching him carefully. “I think I look pretty good… all things considered.” He huffed out, sitting on his knees and spreading his arms as if it were a bible reference.  
Wanda stalked him and paced back and forth behind Steve, waiting for him to act. He’d become a mentor of hers, or at least, someone she could trust when she was scared… And right now, she felt terrified. Most of the civilians had cleared out around her, but there were a few watching the man in the center of the market carefully. Lives were always at risk when she was around, slowly, Wanda realized she would have to come to terms with that. “Who’s your buyer?” He demanded, but there was no answer.

“You know, he knew you. Your pal, your buddy, your Bucky…” Wanda watched Steve and suddenly, his body language changed. She looked into his head, she looked into his thoughts, and all she heard was one name, and one face. The man had stubble and thick hair, and a metal arm. Wanda took herself from his thoughts and shied away from the violently tragic thoughts.

Steve grabbed by the man by the collar and looked dangerously into his eyes, glaring with daggers traveling through his gaze. “What did you say?” He hissed, but once again, no clear answer was given.

“He remembered you…” He spoke after a moment and Steve stayed in that pose. Wanda watched him, her irises swirling with a scarlet shade slowly. Something is wrong. ‘You need to get out of here… Wanda, run.’ A voice in her spoke and she recognized it as Pietro’s. Was she going insane? Was this just a part of grief? Or was it something more? “I was there… he got all weepy about it, too… ‘till’ they put his brain back in a blender.” Wanda watched the life seemed to be seemingly vacuumed from Steve, and she tried to move forward, but Rumlow’s sandy, terrifying voice stopped her.

“He wanted you to know something… he said to me…” The man spoke in between deep breaths and Wanda watched him, crossing her arms. For a second, his gaze turned onto her and she shivered, not knowing why she was even scared. “He said to me… please, tell Rogers… ‘when you gotta go… you gotta go…’” The expression on the man’s face shifted and he fastened something on his belt. “And I’m takin’ you with me…”

Wanda’s eyes shot open and she pushed her hands forward, keeping the explosion trapped in a scarlet cage. The man’s pain flowed in her own skin and she moaned, squeezing her eyes shut and trying desperately to send the explosion upwards in her rush of pain. Rumlow’s screams pitched in her ears and she cringed.

“Wanda…” Steve murmured and she looked to him for a second, -just a second- in the second of great pain in both her and Crossbones and then, her hands trembled from the fire nearly swarming them.

The explosion shot up and Wanda instantly knew she had lost control. She dropped her hands and saw with absolute terror building in her body that it was colliding with the concrete building above them. Rubble and debris fell from the construct and fire swarmed the structure, exploding the glass. Wanda could hear screams… she could hear the screams of people inside before suddenly, the “Oh my…” Steve cut himself off but he looked up in terror towards the fire, and then down to Wanda. She couldn’t meet his eyes, she couldn’t look at him but when she finally did, she saw the word she thought he’d say: ‘monster.’

Wanda pressed her hands to her lips and before she could do anything she fell back, not having the ability to stand. “I need… fire and rescue on the South Side of… the building.” He managed to rasp and before she could even say anything, Steve ran, he ran into the building and went to fix her mess for her.

She collapsed onto her knees and as soon as she could see, tears blurred her vision and she felt like she would black out. ‘There we go… monster.’ A voice in her murmured and she nodded her head, covering her head with her hands and weeping softly. Wanda pulled her knees into the grip of her arms and hid her head, shaking her jaw and crying. What have I done? What have I done?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, so i wasn't sure whether or not to do CW so quickly, but i'm going to do the majority of my fluff between infinity war and the end of CW. also, i wanted to say, i know this probably didn't make much sense, but pretty much in the comics, wanda leans the power of talking to dead people so those italicized words are supposed to be that, sorry i didn't explain that :3 requests are closed for now, but there should be another chapter in like two or three days <3 thanks so much everyone for reading!


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda is a murderer, that she is sure of.

It was silent. Steve split everyone up… Wanda and him were the only ones in the quinjet, the others needed to return a day later, mostly to clean up the mess.  _ ‘Seven Wakandans were among those killed in a confrontation between the Avengers and a foreign group of mercenaries in Lagos, Nigeria only hours ago. The Avengers were on an outreach mission in Lagos when the attack occurred. The perpetrator, nineteen-year-old Wanda Maximoff, labrat of large mercenary group, Hydra, was guilty for killing nineteen-'  _ Wanda looked up and saw that Steve had switched off the radio. Dry tears lived on her face and she sniffled, wiping her nose and looking back down. 

She was curled up into a ball on the bench and she hid her head in her arms, not wanting to surface, not ever.  _ What have I done?  _ She asked herself and before she knew she felt more silent tears running down her cheeks. Dust and debris still coated her clothing. A fresh cut was living just above her eyebrow and every now and then, a drop of blood would slip from her dirty skin. There was blood on her hands, both physical and mental. “This wasn’t your-”

“Stop talking.” She ordered him and he nodded, sitting beside her but she kept her head in her arms. “How many dead…?” Her voice was soft and barely above a whisper, but the pain that was dancing in each sound wave was clear and Steve watched her carefully. “Steve. How many dead?”

He sighed and scratched the stubble growing on his chin. The jet was on autopilot, but he had been in the front for the majority of the flight. He didn’t know what to say. “Nineteen…” 

“Oh, my God.” She whimpered and looked into his eyes, but then physically turned her body around, covering herself with a survival blanket stocked in the jet. “Please… leave me alone.” She requested gently, but she heard no footsteps resounding away in her mind. Still, she didn’t turn, she just sat there, curled in her own patheticness.  _ I’ve killed nineteen people. Who were they? Did I see them in the market? How old were they? Were they married? Did they have children, people who loved them?  _

She wondered if she killed more than nineteen people, maybe not physically… but how many families had come to an end due to her failure and incompetence. “We’re… arriving.” Steve announced moments later and she looked up. It was night-time and the sky had been painted in a city of stars. A softness resonated in her and before he could even say anything she was gone. As soon as the rear of the jet was open she trudged out of the machine, dry tears on her cheeks. The blanket still hung over her shoulders and Wanda looked down into the fabric surrounding her. There was a dot of blood lined by the hip and she wondered if it was her own. “Wanda!” He called after her but she walked so fast she was out of earshot.   
Wanda kept walking, and she could feel eyes on her as she entered the building. Natasha and Sam were still on their return, but Tony stood just in the kitchen. Even with his back turned Wanda could feel him staring at her through his head. She raced up the glass steps, almost falling but she caught herself in the air. _All I need is some time to think… Tell me, how can I fix this? I’ve killed -slaughtered- people._

That first moment when the explosion hit, her life felt like it was coming crashing down with that building. Wanda was sure Steve was following her but she didn’t care, she just walked as quickly as she could. Suddenly, something knocked her back and she almost fell down right there like a house of cards met with a weak breeze. When she looked up, she saw Vision staring back at her and she quickly managed her own path on her feet. “Wanda-” 

She pushed past him and when she felt his hand grab hers, she didn’t fight. “Please… just please, let me go.” Wanda begged softly, but he didn’t comply. He tried to hug her, to embrace her but at the last second she ducked out and continued down the hall. As she retreated, small weeps began to surface and she rushed towards her door, shutting it behind her herself and falling against the solid metal.  _ What have I done?  _

She didn’t know how many hours it was she sat there, looking out at the stars. Dawn hadn’t yet broken out across the sky, but it was approaching that point. Finally, she stood and stripped the blanket off of her, leaving her in her bloodied uniform. Most of the blood wasn’t hers. It was then she realized there was a read on the other side of the door, a mind. In the mind she saw herself, and she realized it was Vision’s. He’d been sitting out there all-night, waiting for her to open the door. The television was sounding through her room, calling her names.  _ Murderer… lab-rat… widowed sister… monster.  _ It continued and Wanda settled herself on the bed, crossing her legs and raising the volume of the news. She regretted it quickly.  _ ‘What kind of authority does an enhanced individual like Wanda Maximoff have operating in foriegn soil? Dozens dead, and who is going to pay for that? The Avengers? Our heroes?’  _

The door suddenly opened and in a matter of seconds, the television was suddenly sparking with the blast of an ion charge, Vision’s ion charge. “They have no right calling you such names.” He sat beside her on the bed and she wiped under her eyes, clearing the tears. 

Wanda cleared her throat and tied her hair behind her head in a braid, trying to make herself look somewhat sane, even if it was a lie. “Don’t they?” She shrugged, looking directly into his eyes and the dead emotion was apparent in her gaze. “People died… that’s on me.” 

He was dressed in a navy blue collar, and she’d come to know it as one of his favorite outfits, as he wore it frequently. “In my few months of existence, I've come to realize… Wanda, this job… the description is that you are a hero, but it does not mention the lives you cannot save.” He whispered softly, looking into her eyes but she held a photo in her hands. It was her photograph of her family, the one with Pietro and her parents… before all three of them died, due to her. “Wanda?” 

“Vision?” She whispered back to him, looking into his eyes and being taken off guard when he suddenly hugged her, embracing her. She didn’t break away and they just sat there for a moment until finally, he cleared his throat and gently released her. She stood and looked out of the large window of the room, observing the busting life of the city. “Thank you, Vis.” 

He watched her carefully and nodded, dipping his head in acknowledgment. There was a sudden bustling on the first floor heard through the floor and the closing of car doors in the parking lot. Wanda stood and narrowed her eyes, seeing a man standing outside the building, moving in with Stark beside him. “Hey, Vis… who is that?” 

Vision moved beside her and he noticed she now stood slightly closer to him prior than she had the failed assignment. “That appears to be… the secretary of state, and Mr. Stark. Peculiar.” 

“No… they’re here because of what I did.” Wanda answered his unasked question and he looked down to her, seeing the fear hidden in her hazel irises.  _ What do they want?  _ Wanda asked herself and she clenched her hands into fists, swallowing hard. “What… do you think they want?” Wanda whispered and she could hear his thoughts in her own head. “They’ve been calling for my arrest.” She murmured, sitting on her bed and sighing deeply. 

Vision stood at the window, watching the man carefully as he entered the building with a dark glare. “That won’t be happening. I’ll protect you.” He promised her and outstretched his hand for her to take it. “I promise.” Wanda looked up, meeting his eyes with a serious dependence and nodding. 

She took his hand and he pulled her up onto her feet. “Thank you… for not calling me a monster.” Wanda smiled for a second and before he could respond, she finally swiped the manual door of the room open and raised her head, emerging from the room and slowly walking towards the conference room. Wanda was scared… Vision comforted her, his words made her feel tons better, but why had Stark brought the  _ secretary of state _ ? Did he want her to live in a cell? She knew, most likely, she deserved it. Nineteen people had died in fiery destruction because of her. 

“For the record, Wanda… you are not a monster.” Vision murmured after catching up with her and she looked up at him, searching in his eyes for a moment before turning away. All of the ‘heroes’ seemed to assemble around the table and Wanda sat in the first chair of the table, taking the blame, but Vision stood beside her. The senator’s eyes were cold and demanding, and they stared straight into Wanda’s eyes. 

She was dressed in a large, exercise jacket… it was a copy of the one Pietro had died in… minus the bullet-holes, and dark blood. Everyone’s eyes were on her and she turned her head away, looking down at the ground in shame. She was meant to be a  _ hero.  _ She was a murderer. Sam, Agent Rhodes, Steve, Natasha, Stark, everyone was there. Would this have happened if it weren’t for her? “Five years ago, I had a heart attack, right in the middle of my back swing.” He held his fists together and swung them through the air like they were one collective bat; it aimed at Wanda. “Turned out it was the best round of my life, because after thirteen hours of surgery and a triple by-pass, I found something forty years in the army never taught me.” 

The senator looked directly into Steve’s eyes, then Wanda’s, then Vision’s. The android sat in the chair beside her and was only a foot away, and even then, he could see the guilt in her body.  _ ‘I promise… I’ll protect you.’  _ He meant to make good on that deal, no matter what it took. “Perspective.” He announced, raising his arms and then sliding them onto his hips. When Wanda turned, she saw Stark’s dead stare and looked down. She had successfully killed her own broken family, and was now doing the same exact thing. 

Something in the senator’s face slaved away and kept his expressions positive, but whatever employed that died away and his features fell away into an icy sorrow. “The world owes the Avengers an… unpayable debt. You have… fought for us, protected us: risked your lives.” And then his sight moved down to Wanda and she looked into his frosty, blue eyes. Kept hair, straight suit: he reminded her of Stark. “But, while a great many people see you as heroes… there are some…” His vision then protruded to all of the ‘heroes’ and he squinted his eyes, taking a deep sigh. “... who would use the term ‘vigilantes.’” 

“And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?” Natasha asked, giving him a fake smile and tying her hands together on the wooden table. The room grew silent and all eyes laid on the middle-aged man at the foot of the table. 

“How about dangerous?” He quickly returned her response and Wanda looked down to her brother’s jacket surrounding her and she fingered the soft material. It smelled like him. “What would you call a group of U.S based, enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose, and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind.” His words were cold and his tone even more frosty. 

Steve sighed and placed his hand on his chin, with his eyesight made of iron and his heart even more dense. The senator stepped aside the screen beside him and footage of the Chitauri attack from years ago flickered onto the screen. “New York.” Screams echoed from the glass monitor and on the image, the monstrous green body of the Hulk was seen tearing into ancient, greco-roman architecture and beheading Chitauri soldiers in front of juvenile civilians. “Washington D.C.” 

The colossal corpse of the Helicarrier was billowing dark smoke into the sky and before anyone could do anything, a tsunami was sent through the city from the body’s crash into the sea. Fire illuminated the metal monster and just before the video cut off, a hunk of the metal impaled a man before Wanda’s eyes. “Sokovia.” Wanda’s eyes dried and her heart plummeted into a deep abyss when on the screen, she saw her brother’s bullet-ridden corpse on the glass. His eyes stared into the camera and the irises were absent of life. It looked the same from when she had seen him at his wake. There must have been at least seven to eight bullet holes along just his torso and Wanda’s breath hitched audibly. “Lagos.” The video showed dead corpses lining the building she had destroyed. 

Screams echoed from every inch of the recording and the tragic wails of ambulances were heard howling for someone to help. Dead eyes stared into the camera’s lens and Wanda suddenly felt overborn, and she looked away. “Okay, that’s enough.” Steve ordered, staring gravely at the young girl and placing his hand down on the table in authority. 

“For the past four years, you’ve operated with unlimited power and  _ no  _ supervision.”  _ Until I came along.  _ Wanda thought and the poisonous look in the senator’s eyes reflected the same sentence. The room was deadly quiet, and one could hear a pin drop. “That’s an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate… but I think we have a solution.” One of the agents beside the senator passed him a thick booklet and he crudely dropped it onto the desk in front of Wanda. She looked up at him, then used her finger to drag the paper closer to hear and read the title. “The Sokovia Accords.”  _ ‘They even named it after you, how sweet.’  _ A voice in Wanda echoed, and it sounded like the robotic terror she had known as Ultron. 

“Approved by one hundred and seventeen countries, it states that the Avengers shall no longer  _ be  _ a private organization.” Wanda slid the booklet to Vision beside her and turned her head away. She heard him rustling through it and slowly, the papers were brought around the table and each of the so-called heroes felt a heaviness stop their blood. "Instead, they’ll operate underneath the supervision of the United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems their assistance necessary." 

The senator stood tall besides Steve’s figure and the younger man furrowed his eyebrow, clenching his jaw. “The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place… I feel we’ve done that.” Steve argued and the senator smiled for a second. Everyone in the room watched the two in their unspoken struggle for power but eventually, Steve relinquished and looked away. "Believe me, this is the middle ground.” 

“So, there are contingencies?” Rhodes asked and Wanda narrowed her eyes, watching the officer carefully. He flipped through the pages of the papers and pushed them away. Wanda softly dragged them towards her with her finger and opened the accords, seeing her name at the very start.  _ If any enhanced individual belonging to the Avengers were to involve themselves with inproper clearance, they would be subjected to a psych evaluation and be kept in the proper high-security facility until further notice.  _ Wanda swallowed hard, taking her hand and trailing it along the next page to read, but a wine-violet hand stopped her, and she saw Vision taking the papers from her, shutting them and placing them at the end of the table. He shook his head, translating a sentence in a silent gaze:  _ it is not worth the grief.  _

“In two days, the U.N will meet in Vienna to ratify the Accords.” Steve suddenly turned around, looking Tony in the eyes and searching for any explanation, but Stark gave no response. “Talk it over.” The senator’s voice aired through the room and soon, his agent and himself removed themselves from the building, leaving the papers behind. 

At first, no one said anything. It was silent and Tony cleared his throat, standing and exiting the room. One by one, each Avenger followed until nothing but the rotten air filled the room. “One hundred and seventeen countries, one hundred and seventeen, Sam! You’re just gonna go, ‘naw, take it back home?’” Rhodes demanded, raising his hands and stressfully pacing the rooms. 

“When are you going to stop playing both sides-” 

“I have an equation.” Wanda turned to face Vision on the couch. He sat besides her and she noticed ever since he’d sworn his promise, he didn’t leave her side. “In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron-Man, the number of known-enhanced persons has grown exponentially… and during the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events have risen at a commercial rate.” 

Steve looked up from the paper before he turned the next page and crossed his eyebrows. “You’re saying it’s our fault?” Vision sighed, connecting his fingers and looking into Wanda’s eyes, then moving to Tony’s. 

“I’m saying there may be a causality.” He was silent for a moment before looking at the group of both monsters and heroes. “Our very strength invites challenge, insights conflict. Conflict… breeds catastrophe.” There was a finality in his voice and from his tone, Wanda knew her ‘friend’ had already made his mind up. Maybe it was because of her, maybe it was because of Ultron… but he didn’t trust the Avengers, and he was one of them. “Oversight… oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand.” He argued, looking into Wanda’s eyes and dipping his head, assuring her that he indeed still didn’t consider her a monster. 

Stark sighed, tossing a small plastic ball from his laid down position up and down in the air. “Tony… you’re being uncharacteristically non-hyper-verbal.” Natasha murmured and the man met her eyes, shaking his head and standing. He was dressed in a suit but the tie had crumpled and the cloth was wrinkled. 

“It’s because he’s already made up his mind.” 

“Oh, you know me so well.” He chuckled and shook his head, brushing his hair and moving towards the kitchen. “Actually, I’m nursing an electromagnetic headache.” Tony’s eyes reduced to slits when he looked at Steve and then he turned away, pressing his finger on the coffee machine and prying the coffee grounds out of the machine. “That’s what’s going on, Cap, just pain. It’s discomfort…” He opened the grinder of the sink and rolled his eyes, looking back to the team. “Who’s putting coffee grounds in the disposal?” He demanded, shaking his head and tossing a small device beside the countertop. It landed with a small  _ clink  _ and Wanda looked at the face that had appeared in holographic fashion. 

It was a boy, one who looked no older than her. He had dark skin illuminated by the sunlight in the photo, and a truly happy smile. “Oh, that’s Charles Spencer, by the way. He’s a great kid, computer engineering degree, 3.6 G.P.A, floor-level gig, intel plant for the fall. But first, he wanted to put some miles in his soul.” Stark spoke coldly, looking to Vision and then Steve. 

The room was as quiet as a cat stalking its prey, preparing to pounce. The boy’s face looked strangely formidable and recognizable to Wanda and she squinted her eyes, trying to remember where she had seen him before. “... before he parked it behind a desk, see the world, maybe be of service.” Tony’s voice hardened and he sat in a chair besides the picture. He waved his hand in and out of it and the image flickered but then a moment later, that winning smile returned on the boy. “Charlie didn’t want to go to Vegas, or Paris, which is what  _ I  _ would do, no. He decided to spend  _ his summer  _ building sustainable housing for the poor, guess where?” Stark’s voice grew in ferocity and then he looked to Wanda, tightening his sight. “Sokovia.” 

“He wanted to make a difference, I suppose, I mean, we won’t know, since we dropped a building on him when we were kicking ass.” Wanda looked away from the ghost and she turned down to her own hands, rubbing the skin and feeling the blood that was there. She couldn’t see it, but it was there. For hours, she locked herself in her room. It had been Vision who first managed to break into the self-made cell and, one, tend to Wanda’s subtle wounds, and try to speak to her. 

_ She thought she would hear the door opening, or some sort of knock, but then again, she forgot that Vision could phase through the walls. In an instant, he appeared before her and she looked up, wiping her tears and trying to appear less insane, but he would never think that about her. “What do you want?” She asked, wiping her eyes and freshening her hair. It glowed under the sunlight and he remarked on it for a moment. “Here to give me a classic… Steve Rogers pep talk?”  _

_ “No. I just rather you weren’t alone.” He responded and as he sat beside her -a few inches apart- the mattress sunk under his weight. “Would it be alright if I clean your injuries? Your vital signs show a concussion and mild bleeding.” He stated and she looked up into his teal eyes, seeing her own reflection in his face. His shade of cranberry skin sparkled under the late evening’s dying light.  _

_ “Have you ever wondered what it’s like to die, Vis?” She asked, not turning away from his eyes and looking directly into his mind. She could read him, and she remembered their first conversation.  _ ‘When I looked in your head, I saw annihilation.’ ‘Look again.’  _ Now, she heard her own name and she realized it was sweet that he seemed to be concerned about her, even if he shouldn’t be.  _

_ “Well… I suppose I have. I suppose it’s hard to ignore the possibility of all just… blinking away one day.” He answered and she smiled at his profound words and soft expression. He didn’t usually talk in such a hushed voice, but now, he seemed to be more careful with his words. “Wanda… you know this was not your doing…?”  _

_ No response came from that question and he heaved a deep sigh, scooting an inch closer to her. A small hiss of her breath came when a wave of pain rushed through her slightly bloodied head. “Please… allow me.” After a moment, she nodded, pushing her hair behind her ear but the strands rejected that action and simply returned anyway.  _

_ “You know, I’ve never thanked you… for saving me, in Sokovia. Thank you, Vision.”  _

_ “It’s my job.”  _ She cleared her mind and forced herself back into the present, hearing Tony’s cold words. The man stole the Accords from Steve and rushed through them, looking at the words they had used and chuckling. 

“Vigilantes… killers. There’s no argument here, we need to be put in check. If this is how that happens, I’m on board. I suggest the rest of you come to your senses before the only thing you’ll be signing are visitation papers.” He bent over, taking a pen from his suit’s pocket and pressed it against the paper. There was no moment of hesitation, the ink eroded against the paper and soon, his signature lived on the accords. Tony turned around, dropped the papers on Wanda’s lap and looked down at her. “Good job, kid.” He snided, turning around and rushing out of the room with his cold-heeled boots being the only sound in the corridor. 

Vision slowly got up besides Wanda and took Tony’s pen, signing his name below his own creator and following Stark. “Well… that’s that.” Natasha murmured and soon, the only signatures that were absent from the paper were Sam’s, Steve’s… and Wanda’s. An abrupt ringing screamed in the air and Wanda jumped, looking down at the tiny flip-phone Steve had given her and she slowly got up, walking towards the end of the corridor and opening the device. “... Barton?” 

“Hey, kiddo… saw everything on TV, and just thought…” His sentence trailed off and she nodded, pushing the phone into her rosy cheeks. “You need me to come back? I can, if-”

“They’re giving us a deal. United Nations dictates us, if not…”  _ Psych evaluation, prison.  _ She remembered and Wanda heard him rustling on the other side. The small laugh of a little girl could be heard on the other side and Wanda smiled, pressing the phone to her ear and laughing softly. “Tell Cooper and Lila I said ‘hey.” She murmured into the phone and Clint chuckled on the other side. 

After Pietro, somehow sticking with Barton helped. They’d call his family each day, and the children loved her. They all thought she was so cool, and Barton teased her for that. The kids reminded Wanda of Pietro and herself. “Yes, maam. Stark’s not being too hard on you… yeah?” 

She smiled and shook her head, looking out towards the canopy garden corralled by glass windows outside of the building. “Other than bringing the secretary of state to hang out? No, I’m fine, Barton… I’ll… be fine. Stay with your family.” There was another squeal of a child on the other side and Wanda chuckled gently, feeling a tear slip down her cheek. “Can I talk to ‘em?” 

“Hi, Wanda!” A little boy’s voice yelled on the other side and she grinned, pressing the phone close to her and feeling another tear strip her cheek. Wanda whispered a responding ‘hello,’ looking around her and making sure no one was hearing her cry over such a silly enjoyment of life. “Alright, alright, shoo.” Clint’s voice returned to the phone and as it was directed back into the microphone, Wanda sighed. 

Wanda travelled back towards the table where the Accords laid, keeping the phone in her ear. “Do you think I should sign…? The Accords they pushed on us?” She asked him and she impatiently awaited his response. “What would you do?” Her voice was soft and as dusk began to paint itself over the sky, she listened to Barton’s steady breathing on the other side of the call. 

The pen Stark had left behind found a home between her fingers and she pressed the cursor to the paper, leaving a thick dot but she hadn’t yet signed her name. “You’re not me, kid, but…” 

“But?” 

“... I wouldn’t. But, one thing I learned about this job is that you can’t always save everyone… whether or not you sign depends on who you are, and what you’ve done… your brother would’ve been proud of you.” Tears welled down her cheeks and she smiled, whispering a ‘thank you’ under her breath and hearing his smile before she could imagine it on the other side of the call. “Alright… I’m on cooking duty… you need  _ anything _ , you call me.” 

More sounds of children on the other line appeared and before long, she couldn’t help herself smiling again. “Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind, Barton…” Her eyesight traveled back down to the pen in her hands and after she cleared her tears, Wanda relinquished the grip of the pen and sniffled, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of Pietro’s hoodie.  _ Wish you were here, brother.  _ Wanda sighed, furrowing her eyebrows and tossing the pen across the room. It landed with a small  _ clink  _ and she furrowed her hands deep in her voluminous hair. 

Suddenly, muffled yelling emerged from the first floor and Wanda sighed, wrestling her hair with her hands. “Sounds like the Accords are going down well.” Clint remarked and Wanda scoffed, wiping her dry tears and standing. The two voices were battling against each other and she recognized them as Stark and Sam. 

“Think I might go out and get a fresh breath…” Wanda murmured but she heard a shuffle on the other side of the phone and her small smile faded away. “... unless you think that isn’t a good idea.” She stated in a monotone voice and Barton sighed, shutting his eyes for a moment. 

“With all that’s going on with the team right now, maybe leaving… isn’t the best idea, kid. You don’t want things to get any worse.” Wanda shut her eyes, leaning against the couch she had laid herself on and pressing the phone to her cheek. “I know you can handle yourself, but-”

“That’s the problem.” There was no answer and Wanda took that as enough of an answer. “Alright, I’m used to this prison, what’s another few weeks?” She picked at the fabric of Pietro’s hoodie around her and sometimes she swore she could hear his voice calling to her. “I knew I never should’ve left.” Wanda whispered under her breath and she honestly wasn’t even sure that Barton had heard her. The purge and fear that dragged down Wanda’s gut prior to her ‘visit’ to Lagos told her that. It was like part of her knew what was going to become of the outreach before she even lost control of that explosion. 

It was all just too much when she took control of that blast. It was like the pain that she was holding in Rumlow traveled through her into her own nervous system, and it rushed her hands into the building. It was like something inside her made her aim left, and into the concrete. “You know… the first assignment I ever had from S.H.I.E.L.D… I shot someone… a kid.” Wanda quieted and she listened to each word he said carefully. “He was running away, I thought he… he was nineteen.” 

“That’s not your fault, Clint.”   
“Yeah… I know, kid. Now you just gotta say that to yourself.” She smiled for a second and felt a tear roll down her soft, young skin. “I’ve been down that road before. Punishing yourself everyday won’t get you anywhere. The reason you get up is because yeah, you messed up, everyone does it, but you need to make it count. You get up everyday and live your life for them.” 

His voice was gravelly and soft at the same time and it comforted her. “You know… that was a pretty good ‘Steve Rogers’ speech, Clint.” He chuckled and shook his head, hearing the calls of Lila from the first floor of the humble farm-house. “I should probably go make sure they don’t kill each other.” Wanda whispered, hearing more yelling from downstairs. 

Barton chuckled and he nodded, hearing more calls of children from the depths of the old house. “Yeah, take care of the team for me… okay, kid? And Wanda… take care of yourself, too.” Slowly, she closed the phone, cutting the call and Wanda sighed. She pressed her hands together and held her face with them for a moment, taking a deep breath.  _ I’ll try, Clint. No promises.  _

Finally, the yelling quieted after a few moments and she travelled downstairs, seeing a dreadful quiet and absence of life on the first floor.  _ Hello…?  _ It seemed they had escaped out of the building, and she wished she could do the game, but she knew that wasn’t a wise decision. Footsteps echoed somewhere in the building, but she simply traveled down the steps, seeing a mess. It looked like a fight had broken out and she swallowed hard. Her fingers wrapped around a broom and she began to dust the broken glass from a fallen glass away, into the garbage.

Wanda remembered the last time she had used her powers. It was that time she failed, and a countless number of people died because of her mistake. She tried asking Steve about the man Rumlow had mentioned: Bucky. That was the only time Steve had ever pushed her away. It was almost like she was  _ scared  _ of her powers now. Yes. She was terrified of what she could do. Wanda now only used her powers unless it was a life or death situation. No more being spoiled with it, no using it everyday for everyday things: only to save people, which she believed would just end in accidental death. So, no: no more magic. Her powers caused death and pain, and she knew now the same went for her. 

_ ‘Just breathe for me.’  _ It was Pietro’s voice and she looked around her, shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath.  _ What are you? ‘What do you mean?’ Who are you? I saw my brother’s body in his coffin, what are you? ‘I don’t know.’  _ The conversation in her own head made her feel crazy and she shook her head, shutting her eyes.  _ I wish I was old enough to drink sometimes.  _

It felt like someone else was in her head and she screwed her eyes shut, rubbing her own skin and feeling like she was dirty somehow.  _ Pietro is dead. There are seven bullets in his decomposing body. Three struck main arteries, making him drown in blood, one struck his lung, two struck his muscles, and one is lodged in his throat. So… the only explanation is that I am going mad.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks guys for reading! i have like 1 or 2 more fluff chapters coming up before the crux of civil war is here, so if you guys want me to slow down a bit just tell me, since im not sure if i'll add some more fluff chapters or just go right to clint picking up wanda in civil war. anyway, thanks for reading everyone, it's so cool to see people are liking this, since i love writing it. have an amazing week <3


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers had been broken apart... it was all her fault.

  
  


_ ‘King T’Chaka of Wakanda was among those killed from an explosion at the signing of the Sokovia Accords in Vienna earlier today. Suspicion arose when Wanda Maximoff was nowhere to be seen, is it possible the menace planned-’  _ She shut off the television and looked down, wiping a tear from her cheek.  _ Where is Steve? Where’s Sam?  _ She asked when she saw the terrifying news, wondering if either of them had been maimed in the attack.  _ No, Steve’s too stubborn to sign those papers.  _ Wanda thought graciously and she sighed, riddling her hands in her hair.

She slowly realized the thirst in her throat and she stood, keeping her loose cardigan strapped to her chest. The air was frosty, as the fall months had begun to roll through the clouds. Her feet slapped against the floor and Wanda traveled to the kitchen’s cupboards. Perhaps she could try to make food, to raise morale, but that was rather inappropriate coming from her, wasn’t it? 

For a second, she flicked her finger, and the cabinet opened with a scarlet lace. Her chest stiffened, and all of a sudden, when the pot was inches from her, it clattered to the floor with a large  _ crash  _ and she jumped, pausing for a moment. “Damn.” Wanda whispered, bending down and slowly taking the metal from the glass flooring. 

She kneeled on the flooring and held the pot in her hands, looking down at her own reflection. Her irises suddenly burnt a crimson red and her eyes shimmered when she looked at her own picture.  _ ‘Just breathe.’  _ Wanda listened and she took slow breaths, wiping the dirt from the appliance. She was oblivious to footsteps behind her and suddenly, someone touched her shoulder. Wanda gasped, almost dropping the pot again and she looked up, watching Vision’s eyes take in the sad sight of her. “Sorry. Dropped it.” 

She pushed herself up and placed the stove under the sink, rushing water into the metal and turning her back to Vision. He watched her, seeing the unsureness in her body language. “Have you seen Mister Stark around? He seems to have vanished, it’s rather strange.” 

“No, I heard… arguing earlier, he’s probably just cooling off.” She shrugged, bringing the pot onto the stove and matching the fire underneath it. A low hum resonated in the air as the tea heated and Wanda looked to Vision, feeling his gaze on her. “Did you… need something?” 

Vision sighed, sitting at the kitchen’s island and watching her slowly make Romani tea. She heard Pietro’s voice calling to her somewhere in the back of her head, but she blocked it off. Something was using his face, his voice… that, or she was going crazy. “Wanda, no one dislikes you.” She smiled for a second and looked down at the boiling tea at his odd words. 

“Urm… thank you?” She laughed softly and sprinkled different flavors into the hot water. The stone in his head seemed to flow for a moment and when Wanda tuned her ears, she could hear a low hum of the gem lodged in his violet skull. Vision, today, -for the first time in a long time- wore his uniform. 

The golden cape flowed from his shoulders and a copper, silver weaving covered his body. Sometimes he thought about his birth. It was odd, as it hadn’t been the first time he felt life in his breast. There were flickers of memories. The roaring of the street underneath him in some sort of truck, and then just pure lightning coursing through his veins. When he rose, Wanda was the first one he had ever seen, and then Thor, standing before him with Mjolnir in his palm. “Oh, you’re welcome, no, it’s… an involuntary response in their amygdala that they can’t help but fear you.” Her smile faltered for a second and she looked down, but as he continued speaking, the warm look on her face slowly returned. 

“Are you…? Afraid of me?” Wanda’s voice changed, and it was a softer tone, like her sanity depended on the answer. In her time, her months at the Avengers’ hands, she had grown a strange ‘friendship’ with Vision. Having such thoughts made her feel like a school-girl and she blushed at that thought. That mindset was soon expelled from her brain when she remembered the deaths she had caused not a week earlier. 

“Ah, well my amygdala is synthetic…” Wanda giggled gently, and stirred the tea at her grip with her scarlet touch. She didn’t realize that when talking to Vision, she had better control of herself and thus, better control of her own powers. It was like she had the confidence to move a sky-scraper and she didn’t even realize it. 

She sighed, looking down at her hands and twirling the color between her fingers as the tea brewed beneath her. “I used to think of myself one way, but after…” She quieted for a moment and reminded herself of the experiments in Germany, and being treated like a rat in a cage. Everyday she would wake to hear her brother yelling and screaming at the walls and she wouldn’t even be able to see him or comfort him, she would just listen to him screaming, and he the same for her. “I am something else… I am still… me, I think, but… that is  _ not  _ what everyone else thinks.” She gave him a painful smile and he looked into her eyes, giving her a look of pity. Wanda looked back down. 

When she read his thoughts, she could see his own impressions of what she’d been through. She could see fabricated versions of the Sokovian labs and the image of what she had been only half a year ago. “Do you know, I do not know what this thing is, not really.” He grazed the stone in his head and it glowed at his touch. Her smile dropped for a moment when she stared at it and she looked down, then sourced her vision back into his eyes with a soothing feeling resonating in her when she did so. “I know it’s not of this world, that it powered Loki’s staff, gave you your abilities, but… It’s true nature is a mystery… and, yet it is part of me.”

For the first time since they had met, Wanda just sat and listened to him, with empathy in her eyes. “Are you afraid of it?” She asked softly, leaving the soup for a moment and watching his response. 

Vision lulled over the question and he fingered the material of the stone, feeling a small burn chafe away at his finger and he retracted his grip. “I wish to understand it. The more I do, the less it controls me. One day, who knows, I may even control it.” He shrugged, rubbing the stone and looking into her eyes as she returned the favor. 

Suddenly, the soup below her hissed and she cursed, switching the oven off and looking into the bowl. She had not stirred it, forgetting in the middle of their conversation, and so, the soup had crusted from the bottom and she took it from the stove, rushing water into the pot. “Ah… I think I may have burnt it.” 

“Yes, it appears that way.” Vision smiled and she turned around, sending a fake glare at him when she saw his laughing smile. She threw the dish towel at him and he laughed, swiping it away. 

She realized there were no more ingredients remaining and she turned around, slipping her shoes on. “I’m going to go to the store, I’ll be back in twenty minutes.” She murmured and stood but when she tried to move towards the exit he phased in front of her, blocking the exit.

“Alternatively, we could just… order a pizza?” Wanda looked up at him and studied his face and when she read him, Wanda smelled  _ fear.  _ She tilted her head and her chocolate hair fell onto her shoulders. It was silent and she looked into his eyes, with her smile slowly falling. 

_ What…?  _ “Vision… are you not letting me leave?” Wanda whispered gently and his expression remained in a frozen state. Through her hazel eyes, the hurt in her expression was apparent and she slinked away from him. 

Vision looked downward at the floor and that answered her question well enough.  _ He doesn't trust me.  _ Wanda thought, and all of a sudden, she could remember the screams she heard when she had crashed that building. “It is a question of… safety.” Vision murmured, trying to get her to meet his eyes but she simply stared down at his shoes. 

“I can protect myself.” Wanda whispered, moving past him but when she attempted to escape, his arm brushed her far shoulder and kept her close to him… but also retracted her privilege to leave. “Vision…” She murmured, looking into his eyes and tilting her head. 

The look of guilt on his face was clear in his features and Vision raised his eyebrows, shaking his head sadly. “Not yours… Mr. Stark would like to avoid the possibility of another public incident.” Wanda’s breath shuddered and she broke her gaze away from Vision, shaking her head and looking down in hurt. “Until the Accords are on a… more secure foundation.” That sentence didn’t help quam the hurt in her features and then, she looked into Vision’s eyes with anger shown in her face, for the first time since they had met. 

“And… what do you want?” Wanda softly murmured, forcing the shine in her eyes down and focusing on the gentle rhythms in his features. Vision hesitated for a moment and Wanda felt the touch of his hand on her arm linger and for some reason, it comforted her, despite his hurtful words. 

“I want people to see you as I do…” Wanda’s expression softened and their eyes connected. When she bore her pupils into his synthetic eyes, Vision could feel the power in the gem above his eyes grow significantly. It was like… being near her, it strengthened him, she made him… happy. “You aren’t a monster… I wish for the world to believe that.” 

She broke the gaze and looked as if she were going to say something, but before she could, her feet carried her back towards her room and Vision watched her go with a sad face. Wanda’s footsteps echoed throughout the corridors before he heard the shutting of her door and the sounds were cut off. 

Vision looked towards the burnt soup pot and he carried his body through the air. His fingers fiddled with the ingredients and he read the recipe under his bread. “ _ Paprikash.”  _ Vision murmured, tracing his finger along the paper list of instructions and beginning to fabricate the dish.  _ Perhaps this will lift her spirits.  _ He thought, but the dish didn’t exactly look right as he added more spices and flavors. 

But as day turned to night, it was silent… too silent. Vision turned towards the windows and looked out at the vast terrain of the Avengers’ ‘estate.’ But suddenly, a floom of fire rose over the treeline one or two miles away and Vision’s eyes widened. It caused an uproar of sound and he soon heard Wanda’s door  _ swish  _ open. “Vis?” She called, shading a scarlet light in her hands and using it to light her way when all of the ceiling lighting had been switched off. “That you?” 

She made her way beside him to the window and saw the large explosion. He saw from the corner of his eye as she looked up to him with a fearful expression. “What is it?” Wanda murmured, raising her head and moving closer to the glass. Unbeknownst to her, when she was scared, her body just naturally moved closer to Vision. 

“I am… not sure. Stay here, please-”

“Wait, Vis... be careful.” She asked and he nodded, phasing through the wall and she saw his silhouette moving towards the fire from the glass. Wanda swallowed, tightening her fists and looking as the circle of fire slowly decreased in its mass.  _ What if someone is coming to… get me?  _ She asked herself and Wanda shut her eyes for a moment, but then, she felt the sense of someone behind her and she raised her hand, sending a knife splitting through the air in a nanosecond. 

When Wanda turned around, she saw Clint staring back at her with a small smile. He raised his hands in surrender and she breathed a tremendous breath of relief. “Guess I shoulda knocked.” His finger gently pushed the knife away from his forehead -which rested only an inch away from the blade- and he smiled slightly when he saw her. It had been months since they last saw each other in person and despite the difference, Clint would dare to say that she had grown to care about him, and he did the same for her. 

“Oh my God… what are you doing here?” She asked, her eyebrows furrowing together and she walked towards him but he raised his bow, aiming it and splitting two arrows on either side of a gap in the furniture. 

He shrugged, looking towards his diversion and seeing no one coming towards the building. “Disappointing my kids.” Wanda smiled for a moment when she thought of the small children she had grown to know. “Supposed to go water-skiing…” Clint took her hand and he walked forward. She hesitantly followed him, looking back at the fire and feeling guilt when she thought of leaving Vision behind. “C’mon, Cap needs our help.” Slowly, she nodded, turning around and quickly began to jog with him. 

“Clint! You should not be here.” Wanda slowed and they both turned around. Her eyes met Vision’s and he looked at her, then Barton. Vision slowly took a step forward and as Clint stepped back, Wanda remained where she stood. 

He shrugged, and took a bow from his quiver and Wanda realized sadly that the interaction would not end peacefully. “I retire for what, like, five minutes and it all goes to shit.” Wanda watched both of the men as Vision advanced, keeping his eyes trained on Barton. 

Wanda looked down at her hands and the scarlet that was tracing them, but she shut them in a fist. She  _ refused  _ to harm Vision, he was her only ‘friend,’ she would not hurt him. “Please consider the consequences of your actions.” Vision moved forward again, now looking at Wanda. His eyes were asking for Wanda to conform to Stark’s orders, but Cap needed her. She caused this mess, she would own up to her mistakes. Like Clint said, she had taken enough time to feel miserable and pity herself. If she was going to honor her victims, she was going to save other lives to try and make the tragedy a little less destructive. 

“Okay, they’re considered.” All of a sudden, an electric shock ran through Vision’s body and he realized two electric arrows were set on the floor, keeping him trapped. Wanda softly gasped and she looked to Vision’s phasing, seizing body with fear. He yelped in pain and Wanda’s eyebrows tilted upwards in tragedy when she looked at Vision… she had come to care about him. “C’mon, we gotta go.” Clint took her arm and began to lead her but she looked back at Vision’s pained body and swallowed. “... it’s this way.” 

Wanda broke her eyes away from Vision and then looked back to Barton. Her hands met each other and she self-consciously shrunk her body together. Vision fought against the electricity and he groaned, looking at the back of Wanda’s head as she backed away from Clint. Funnily enough, as Barton grew closer, she retracted backwards towards Vision, feeling safe with the android. “I’ve caused enough death.” She shook her head, looking down to the floor and hearing Clint trot towards her. 

“You gotta help me, Wanda… look, you wanna mope, you can go to highschool. You wanna make amends, you get off your ass.” He responded in a tough-love fashion and she looked up into his eyes, slowly nodding and then noticing the absence of Vision’s groans. “Shit…” Clint cursed, hearing the sound of a shot as Vision blasted the electric traps, releasing himself. 

Clint drew his bow but before he could even pull an arrow from his quiver, Vision struck him, sending Barton back. Wanda gently held her hand over her mouth and she watched in terror, knowing she could easily defeat either of them and end the fight. “Knew I should’ve stretched…” He groaned and pulled an electric baton from his belt but Vision soon threw it away, phasing when Barton tried to strike Vision. 

Wanda backed away, barely dodging when Clint was taken into Vision’s hands and the android pressed him against the wall. Her eyes shimmered and she felt her throat closing around her with pressure as she raised her hands. Small sparks of red began to pool at her fingers with shame. “Clint, you cannot overpower me.” Vision lectured when he took the archer into a choke-hold and he looked down as the man gagged. 

“I know… but she can.” He managed and Vision looked up, seeing Wanda look at him with an expression of tragedy. Her hands raised from her side and maroon magic began to bleed from her fingertips. 

“That’s enough, Vis… let him go.” It wasn’t a request, it was a plea. “I don’t want to hurt you, please.” Her voice was desperate and for a moment, Vision seemed to release Clint, but then his grip tightened once again. When she saw this, Wanda shook her head and she slowly made her way to Vision, awkwardly holding her hands beside her chest. 

Vision met her eyes and he saw the clear desperation in her eyes but then, he was disrupted by Barton struggling in his arms. “I cannot protect you out there.” Vision spoke clearly and she swallowed at his words, hearing his care for her in his words, but then again, he was choking her only role-model of a father. “Wanda…”

“I’m sorry.” She whispered and she barely noticed a tear slipping down her cheek as she forced his body to phase and quickly, Barton dropped through his body and tumbled to the floor with a groan. “I need to fix what I have done… and you’re standing in the way.” She murmured, pressing her hands together and making the density in his body grow with each second. 

He groaned in pain and she cringed at the sound, shutting her eyes for a moment. “If you do this… they will never stop being afraid of you.” Her expression died at his words and he wished he could take the words back a second after the look of hurt and pain reflected through her features. Vision felt the flooring beneath him begin to crack due to his extreme density but Wanda painfully continued. 

“I cannot control their fear… only my own.” Wanda whispered and just as she heard him call out for a last time, he suddenly shot into the flooring and she could hear each  _ crack  _ through each level as she pushed him down farther and farther. It was like she could feel his own pain in herself and she was  _ glad  _ she could feel that pain. The guilt she carried when she finally released her control of his body was immense and it strolled down her cheek in a single tear that she wiped away. 

Clint looked into the massive hole in the flooring and he stood beside Wanda, placing his hand on her shoulder. She almost cringed at the contact but once she remembered it was Barton she nearly leaned into it. “Ow…” He tried to joke but when he saw her destroyed expression he knew it wasn’t the time. “Alright, c’mon, kid… we’ve got one more stop.” Wanda looked back and realized Barton was leading her away from the ‘grave,’ and she regretfully let herself be taken away. 

“Okay.” Wanda whispered softly, feeling the cold air of the night surround her when Barton led her out of the building. “What happened with Steve…?” She asked after she had joined him in his distinguishable red, rusty truck. It smelled like the woods inside and Wanda took a deep breath. Even though he was out of sight, she could still feel Vision’s presence yards underground the building. 

“Got himself into some… trouble.” When she saw the expression on his face and his tone of voice, Wanda’s eyes widened and she realized he was talking about legal trouble. “Look… Cap’s friend… he’s dangerous, but Steve… he’s loyal.” Barton summarized and when he saw Wanda looking out towards the street signs that passed sadly, he sighed and diverted his sight from the road towards her. “You did the right thing back there… with the toaster.” 

She smiled at the nickname for Vision but when she was reminded of the android she had grown a shameful affinity for, her smile dropped. “Wherever I go, people are hurt… I’m not a hero… not like you. Not like Steve… not like my brother.” Wanda softly spoke and she pulled her loose hoodie over herself like a blanket. Her body was settled in a comfortable position and she watched the trees and clouds pass by as her eyelashes danced open and closed. 

Wanda heard Barton sigh and and just as she was shutting her eyes, submitting herself to unconsciousness, she felt Clint place a blanket he’d kept in the truck on her and she almost smiled. “Get some rest, kid… we’ll probably need it in a few hours.” The ends of her eyelashes tickled the top of her cheeks and when she remembered Vision’s yelps of pain, she tightened her closed eyes. 

_ I did the right thing. ‘You did the right thing.’  _ Pietro’s voice in her head repeated and she almost opened her eyes, but eventually, she’d come to teach her deteriorating sanity as a normal part of her everyday life.  _ I hurt the only person I have in my life… he cares for me, and I care for him, and I pushed him through the folds of the earth.  _ She criticized herself when she thought of Vision’s fearful expression. He looked so… hurt. She wished she could have hurt herself instead of him… that was when she realized… their relationship was what she woke up for each morning,  _ especially  _ after Lagos…  _ Wanda was falling in love with Vision.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks everyone for reading! it's so nice to see you guys're enjoying this, it's so fun to write <3 new wandavision episode comes out tomorrow, so excited ! i've read like all of the vision and scarlet witch comics so i've a bunch of theories. i'm gonna say... some of the comics are legit disturbing LOL. i literally watched agatha eat a whole ass cat (i'm not joking, that's an actual thing) like marvel, whatcha doing in the eighties lol. anyway, have an amazing week, love you guys ! <3


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers are broken.

At first, she heard conversation and her nearly eternal slumber faltered for a moment but Pietro’s voice in her dreams called her back and she shut her eyes again, But then, the talking grew louder and Wanda heard laughter surfacing through her ears. Finally, she opened her right eye, raising her eyebrow and taking in the sight of Barton’s lips moving and fabricating words through a window. She could read the presence of multiple people outside the car and slowly, she commanded her limbs to start working. “... us on the jet… Bucky…” 

Wanda had fallen asleep in the car and when she opened her eyes, she realized that they had arrived at the airport. There was muffled conversation outside and she shut her eyes again for a moment before suddenly, someone knocked against the glass and she opened her eyes, seeing Steve looking down through the open window with a smile. “Get your beauty sleep?” 

“Oh, haha.” She smiled and sat up, exiting the vehicle and seeing the familiar faces. Barton, of course, Steve, Sam… there were two men she couldn’t recognize however. One wore a red and black suit with a strange helmet in his hands and it was then she remembered she could remember Natasha talking about him once. The other… she found herself scared when she looked at his figure. 

He had a scruffy, dark beard and dark eyes that penetrated Wanda with a strange look. His body was muscular and tall, but most strange of all was that his arm had been replaced with a simulacra. Shiny metal hung from his shoulder with a large red star printed on the side, but the star looked as if it had been tried to have been filed or sanded off. The color was faded, and matched the shade of her own powers. She shut the car door behind her and leaned against the car as the eyes that had been on her looked away after a few moments. “Has Barton told you what we’re up against?” 

“Stark…?” She asked and he almost chuckled at her response. Steve looked to the man with the metal arm and then to Wanda’s figure beside him. She was not as tall and only measured up to his shoulders. 

“We’re outside of the law on this one, kid… if you do this, you’re a fugitive.” His tone was serious and she looked into his eyes, considering her choice for a moment. When she thought about it, there was one thought that came to her head. _I have nothing to lose._

Wanda was used to cages. She grew up in them. Wanda was used to being a prisoner, and she was used to having nothing, in recent months. “What else do I have to lose?” She shrugged, looking into Steve’s eyes with sadness and she could read the pity in his eyes without even having to search his brain. After Pietro, she really thought she had nothing to lose… but these past few days, having to push Vision away… she realized that wasn’t true. 

The man with the metal arm looked at Wanda and when she read him, she came up with a name: _Bucky._ Her eyes widened for a moment but then she subdued her expression. _You’re the reason Rumlow had that bomb._ Wanda thought and she remembered with distaste the second she saw that explosion. It was Rumlow that introduced Wanda to the ‘what-if’s.’ _What if I was too slow? What if that explosion killed Steve, because I failed? What if that building collapsed with him in it because I was too much of a coward to go in myself?_ “We should get going.” Bucky spoke with a sandy voice and Steve looked back to him, nodding. 

“Got a chopper set up. we’ll cover you.” Clint spoke, pointing towards a far-away hangar where a sitting helicopter could be seen in the shadows of the hangar. Suddenly, a german voice lingered in the ear and Wanda looked up towards a speaker that shared the voice. 

“They’re evacuating the airport.” _Stark is here… Vis is here._ She feared they’d be forced to fight, and she feared -no, she knew- that she would stick to her oath. _She would_ not _hurt Vision._ “Stark.” Bucky spoke and he reached into the car for something, Wanda realized it was a gun and she swallowed.

Steve looked out across the small team and he tightened his jaw, looking down at Wanda for a moment. “ _Suit up._ ” 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

The plan was to wait for them to reveal themselves. All of them knew something would happen, Tony’s ego was far too large to leave well enough alone. So, Wanda wasn’t surprised when she saw two metal sights sail through the air with almost confusing flexibility. There was a _thud_ when Tony landed before Steve and even if his face was covered, Wanda could feel the fury in his voice. “Wow, it’s so weird how you run into people at the airport, isn’t that weird?” 

Rhodey landed beside him and nodded, placing his metallic hands on his waist. “So weird.” Rhodey agreed and as they placed a step towards Steve, Steve instead placed his shield on his back. The stars and stripes reflected under the sun and Wanda realized that the blades of the helicopter seemed to be teetering on each other. _That isn’t going to fly._ She realized and she cursed under her breath, nudging Barton. By his expression, he clearly realized the same thing and he too whispered a curse. 

“Hear me out, Tony. That doctor, the psychiatrist, he’s behind all of this.” Wanda squinted her eyes and she realized how uneducated she was. All she knew was they were right and Tony was wrong. That wasn’t too obscene of a concept. Wanda knew Steve’s affinity and care for Bucky, and Steve always was there for her when she needed the smallest bit of comfort. She was loyal, and she would always be there for him if he needed her. She looked up to him, like a sister would a brother. 

All of a sudden, there was a figure pouncing from one of the planes. Wanda squinted her eyebrows, seeing what looked like a modern suit of a cat with a silver necklace draping over the shoulders of the… was it a man? “Captain.” It spoke… it was a man. She recognized the voice… _Prince T’Challa._ He had spoken on the news regarding her assault in Lagos. _King… King T’Challa._

“Your highness.” Steve greeted, and slowly, Stark ejected his mask and Wanda could see the fury in his eyes. They burnt with a fire she had never seen before and part of her almost feared it. _Almost._ After they had agreed to help Steve, Pietro always argued against the plan. _‘We had Stark right there, we could have gotten revenge.’ ‘We were going to end the world, Pietro… we need to make it right.’_

It was unprecedented for Pietro to be immoral. She always looked up to him so much and it was undoubtedly true that without her brother, she would have died in those experiments. She still had scars. Scars of electrocution, or just marks from those cruel scientists. PTSD. That was what Banner called it, when she tried to open up to him about what had happened in those cold labs. “Anyway, Ross gave me thirty-six hours to bring you in… that was twenty four hours ago. Can you help a brother out?” 

“You’re after the wrong guy.” Wanda realized Stark had a dash of dried blood above his eyebrow and now she realized a bruise just below Steve’s hairline. When she thought of the two fighting, she knew _undoubtedly_ that it was her fault. The Accords were her fault. If she hadn’t killed _nineteen_ innocent people, this would not be happening. 

Stark paused beside Rhodes and his expression froze n a serious lecture. “Your judgement is askew. Your old war buddy killed innocent people yesterday-”

“And there are five more super-soldiers just like him.” When she looked to Bucky, she saw his expression harden. For a moment, he met her gaze and then he tore it away. She could read him, she could see horrific memories in his head, but… they reminded her of her own. Doctors leading over his head as they pumped electricity into his head. She could hear his screams and hear him yelling for Steve and she tore herself out of his mind from terror. “I can’t let that doctor find them first, I can’t.” 

A voice called to Steve and he turned around, seeing Natasha standing behind him with her shock baton. “You know what’s about to happen… do you really want to punch your way out of this one?” Her voice was soft and comforting, and Wanda almost wanted to lower her fists at it. She looked to Barton, asking him if it was time with her eyes and he shook his head, denying her question. 

“Alright, I’ve run out of patience. Underoos!” 

Stark called and before Steve could do anything, his shield was stolen from him by what looked like… it looked like a web. The entire airport was silent as a red suit landed beside Stark. There was the emblem of a Spider on the center of his chest. The striking red reminded Wanda of Stark and it was like she was staring at his doppelganger. 

A conversation broke out between them and Steve’s hands were suddenly bound in webs. He looked down at the material and tugged against it, but it didn’t budge a second. Even when he exerted all of his strength, it still didn’t even rip. _‘What is this stuff?’_ He thought, looking back at the kid with a bewildered expression. Wanda remembered words Stark had said to her almost months ago: _‘everyone has a gimmick… what’s yours?’_ “You’ve been busy.” 

“And you’ve been a complete idiot.” Tony suddenly hissed, looking up to the environment above Steve and searching for signs of life. Wanda ducked down and her hair covered her face effectively. “Dragging in Clint, _rescuing_ Wanda…” Wanda cringed and she screwed her eyes shut. _Is Vision here?_ “Rescuing her from a place she doesn’t want to leave, a _safe_ place. I’m trying to keep…” Tony collected himself and took a deep breath, shutting his eyes. “I’m trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart.” 

Steve ceased his attempts to free his hands and he paused, looking directly into Tony’s eyes. “You did that the moment you signed those papers.” Whatever pity that seemed to live in Stark was suddenly killed and he shut his mask. 

His face was sealed but now, it was like the airport was filled with his rage and the hum of Stark’s weapons could be heard. “Alright, we’re done, you’re going to hand Barnes over, you’re gonna come with us, _now_ , because it’s us!” His voice was furious and fuming, and the volume increased with each word. Wanda felt like she was a child being lectured by a parent. “You want a squad of JSOC guys with no compunction about being impolite?!” Steve turned his head away and looked down, heaving a deep sigh. 

_‘We found it.’_ Sam’s voice echoed through her earpiece and when she looked up, she saw a small drone flying through the air, invisible to the ‘enemies.’ _‘The quinjet’s in hangar five, northside.’_ All of a sudden, Steve raised his hands, and that was the signal. Clint instantly drew his bow and in an instant, the webbing covering the captain’s hands were sliced by the head of an arrow that was directed exactly in the middle of his hands. _‘Alright, Lang.’_ “Hey, guys, something-” 

The ‘spider-man’ was interrupted by Scott suddenly bursting into regular size and he kicked the chin of the kid, sending him back. “I believe this is yours, Captain America.” Scott handed Steve the shield and it was quickly latched back onto Steve’s wrist with a small _click._ And then, all of a sudden, it had started. Clint ordered Wanda to follow him, taking her hand and she nodded, following his lead.

In a second, there was a ripping of an engine through the air and Wanda looked up, seeing Stark moving behind them… he didn’t look peaceful. Explosives surrounded them and the swarm of fire nearly consumed Clint and Wanda. He dragged her forward and she allowed it, running with him and directing the power with her abilities so that a path was made. “Down, behind me!” Clint ordered as a bust of rubble fell from an overhang above them and he blocked Wanda’s body with his own. 

“Wanda, I think you hurt Vision’s feelings.” Stark joked and he was returned with a blast of scarlet shooting towards him. Wanda didn’t even think before she acted, she just felt so guilty that she couldn’t think to do anything else, and that terrified her. 

“You locked me in my room.” She frowned, shooting another blast but he dodged it quickly, sailing through the air like a metal ballerina. Fire blasted behind them and the crumbs of concrete surrounded her feet. She furrowed her eyebrows together and looked up to him with scarlet swarming her irises. 

Stark raised his blaster and Wanda felt Barton blocking her body but she pushed him back, raising her hands again. “Okay, first, that’s an exaggeration and second, I did it to protect you.” She wondered if he was right occasionally… was she a monster? Did she need to be locked away? Maybe that would be better for everyone. “Hey, Clint, see retirement doesn’t suit you… tired of shooting golf?” 

Clint’s finger rested on the string of his bow and his hand rested near his quiver, ready to pull another arrow. “Well, played eighteen, shot eighteen… just can’t seem to miss.” Suddenly, his finger pulled against the string of his metal bow and an arrow sailed through the air. 

Strangely enough, it hadn’t actually struck Tony and just before the Stark’s blaster decimated the ammunition, it spliced the air beside his waist. And then, the arrow blasted and Stark looked back to the archer, shaking his head. “Well, first time for everything.” Almost interrupting his sentence, a car nearly missed Tony’s head but luckily he blasted it, splitting the vehicle in half. Wanda casted dozens more downwards onto Stark and ripped her hands down as scarlet blankets drifted around the masses of metal. 

Finally, the iron mouse was caught in its trap and the cars piled up on Stark. Wanda positioned them so that they pinned him down, but they wouldn’t actually kill him. She was different from him in that way… she cared. He would murder her and not blink if she weren’t a kid. “Come on, jet’s this way.” Clint took Wanda’s hand and she released the cars. They all landed to the ground with a massive _boom_ and she trotted back towards the east hangar where the quinjet laid. 

_Where’s Vision…? Is he alright?_ Wanda asked herself when she hadn’t seen the android anywhere. What if she hurt him? He wasn’t here because he was injured… because _she hurt him. No. That… I couldn’t have… could I?_ She asked herself, taking a deep breath and looking towards the swarm of fighting. Every now and then, Scott would appear then disappear from her vision and she almost wanted to watch the talent. Rhodes and Stark had already recovered and the loud sound of their metallic suits soared through the bright sky. “There’s our ride.” Clint pointed towards a quinjet in the distance and Wanda nodded and soon, the team slowly configured in the sprint towards the jet. 

Scott and Steve moved beside them, and then Bucky, then Sam. Wanda ran as fast as she could but suddenly, a spurt of power dashed inches before her feet and she gasped, stopping. “Captain Rogers…” Wanda looked up into Vision’s eyes as he spoke to Steve and she felt relief in her when she saw he was alright… of course he would be, she felt foolish now for her thoughts moments earlier. Vision always got up, always. “I know you believe what you are doing is right… but for the greater good, you must surrender now.” 

They all assembled there, yards from the jet. For the first time since her departure, Vision and Wanda’s eyes met and she looked up at him with almost shining eyes. _I am sorry._ Wanda said through her gaze… and he looked away. He didn’t answer her. He turned away and slowly lowered himself a few feet, but he stood above the other Avengers, a few feet. “What do we do, Cap?” 

And then, Steve uttered the words that Wanda _begged_ would be shadow banned from the interaction: “We fight.” And so, they began to move forward, one by one but at the same time, as a body. The walk grew in speed and slowly, they were sprinting. Wanda pushed herself upwards and with the strength of her abilities lacing scarlet around her, she was pushed upwards into the air. 

It started… she landed blow after blow. Dense balls of her power would land against the concrete floor and cause blood-red explosions. When she turned her head, she saw Barton being tackled by Natasha and part of her hesitated… These people weren’t her enemies. She had made them her family. Natasha… she helped Wanda train, Stark: he was insufferably naïve, ignorant and self-inflated… but occasionally, he did have her best interest at mind.

“Clint.” She breathed, saving him from a boot to the face. Her scarlet grip took Natasha’s shoe and forced it upwards, sending the woman through the air and rushing her yards away before she fell to the concrete. _I’m so sorry…_ Wanda thought mentally and she watched Natasha’s body fall to the floor. “You were pulling your punches.” Wanda murmured when she used her power to push Clint off the ground. 

_‘Hey, could use some help over here!’_ Someone yelled in her ear and she quickly looked to her left, seeing the king’s metallic claws ejecting from his suit. The weapons were moving towards Bucky, and she pressed her hands together, causing scarlet eruptions to move between the panther’s hands and stop the near murder. “Go!” Wanda ordered and Bucky dipped his head in gratitude, picking himself up and running away from the king. She was left with him and Wanda ceased her movements for a moment, looking into the eyes of the panther mask. “I want to apologize. I caused death in Lagos… I killed your people.” 

The man's movements halted for a moment and she stared into his white eyes, looking for any words. “I will not fight a child.” He spoke and she raised her hands again, preparing for a fight. And so, they clashed and led each other back to the main battle with their strikes. She forced his limbs to fight against each other with her powers but before she could deflect him, metallic claws dug into her forearm and she yelped, holding it close to her and when she looked up, he had been driven away by the blast of a jaunty, amber laser. _Vision saved me._ Wanda searched to find Vision, but he had already gone back towards Steve, trying to rob the captain of his shield. 

_‘We gotta go, that guy’s probably in Siberia by now.’_ Bucky murmured in her ear and she looked up towards the sky to see that Stark seemed to be foaming with… it looked like extinguish liquid. _‘No, we need to draw out the fliers, make a run for it then.’_ Steve ordered and as she looked up to Stark, she realized his weapons were offline and she blasted Stark with a powerful ocean of scarlet and maroon and he fell into the concrete, temporarily unable to fly. "Stark’s down." She spoke, holding the man down with scarlet chains impeded in the concrete runway. _‘I’ll get Vision, you get to the jet.’_

 _‘No, you get to the jet… both of you. The rest of us aren’t getting out of here.’_ Wanda slowly realized he was correct and she looked up to the skies. Vision and Rhodes remained in the blue layer and Wanda realized with a sickness she was the only one who would be able to effectively stop Vision. _No. I am not doing that. ‘He’s right, as much as I hate to admit it, some of us are going to have to lose this one to win.’_

 _‘This, this isn’t the real fight, Steve.’_ Sam spoke in her ear and she projected herself upwards, looking out at the battlefield. Bucky and Steve were squatted beside one of the planes, it was a few yards away from the hangar. If they ran fast, it would take around twenty seconds. “We need a diversion.” Wanda spoke into her earpiece and she heard agreement amongst the team. _‘I can make a diversion. I can’t hold it for very long. On my signal, run like hell, if I tear myself in half… don’t come back for me.’_ Wanda squinted her eyes and looked out just in time to see that Scott had grown. 

The six foot man had emerged to be at least seventy feet, greatly exceeding the size of many of the planes in the airport. Latched in his hand was Rhodes and Wanda’s eyes widened at the sight. Scott’s laughs could be heard in her earpiece and she watched it almost like she wasn’t believing what she was seeing, but then… she looked down and remembered the magic and energy she held in her own body. _‘Way to go, Tic Tac.’_

“Steve, go!” Wanda ordered and the two men came to their senses. From her elevation, Wanda saw Bucky and Steve making an all out sprint towards the hangar. And then, she saw Vision raising his fists. A large beam came from his head and it collapsed a tower beside the hangar. _He wants to block the entrance._ Wanda realized and she flew through the air, passing by Vision and hearing him call her name. 

“Wanda!” He called for her but she simply rushed towards the crashing tower and she landed on the floor of the concrete runway, pressing her hands to the sky and keeping the debris from crushing the two men. It had to be at least three tons of weight pressing down on her hands and she yelped in pain, screwing her eyes shut and focusing on the power coming from her hands. 

A web of scarlet covered the concrete and metal and she pressed it upwards, struggling with the pain in her. “Steve… I can’t… hold this for long.” She rasped out and she heard his voice in her ear but all she could feel was the pressure against her… and Vision’s eyes on her. Wanda could feel his presence only feet from her and she hissed at the extreme weight. 

And then suddenly, something struck her and a deafening sound obliterated her ears, sending an ocean of pain through her body. Wanda screamed from the pain and she collapsed to the floor with her hands over her ears. When she looked back towards the hangar, she didn’t see the crushed bodies of Steve or Bucky and she let herself relax. _They made it._

Wanda felt pain and ache in her body and she laid down against the warm concrete, just shutting her eyes for a second. _I… I just need a second. I need a second._ She pressed her hand against the concrete and looked up to see the jet taking flight from the hangar. _We did it…_ She thought, holding her head and rubbing it slightly, trying to get the pain out. “Wanda.” Vision whispered, landing beside her and in a second, his arms bare the weight of holding her and she let her arm go from the concrete and fell into his arms. “Wanda, are you alright?” 

Slowly, she regained her energy and she held herself up, sitting on the ground but letting Vision still keep his arms around her. “I’m sorry.” She whispered, looking into his eyes and seeing the guilt in his eyes. “I’m so sorry.” Wanda murmured and her head was ringing with her own voice. 

“Me, too…” He responded softly and they both paused for a moment. Sirens were starting to ring in the air and she looked towards the exit of the airport, seeing police, no, SWAT. “Wanda…” He whispered and their vision grew into each other again. For a moment, she thought of moving closer, but that thought was beaten by the shuffle of cars and the sounds of guns being cocked. Wanda’s head rose and she looked towards the militarized jets coming down from the sky. 

“They’re coming for us.” Wanda murmured and she looked towards the jets. An obnoxious sound of engines ripping through the air resonated through the day, and Wanda slowly stood, shutting her fists. “They’re going to take us away.” She whispered and she felt Vision take her hand as she looked towards the men filing out of the planes. 

Wanda heard yelling from different directions and she could hear gunshots and she jerked her head up towards the scraps of airplanes that were left in Scott’s wake. Soon enough, the man himself was being yanked up by his arms and dragged towards an armed jet, though he looked hardly conscious. “I can protect you.” Vision spoke and she looked up to him, seeing that he had placed himself in front of her… in a protective matter. It almost calmed her. 

“No, Vision…” She shook her head, turning around and looking him in the eyes. “Don’t think toasters do very well in four walls…” She joked and he smiled for a moment, but suddenly, there were thunderous footsteps around them and Wanda saw her friends being carted away. Scott, Clint, Sam… they were all in heavy handcuffs with two men on each of them, dragging them by their arms. “I grew up in boxes… I’ll be fine, Vis…” She whispered, and suddenly, she kissed his cheek gently, pulling away and looking him in the eyes. She could see sadness in his eyes after she pulled away and he brushed her cheek with his hand, holding her. “Thank you.” 

Her fingers left a tiny dot of blood on his cheek from the scratches the panther had left on her forearm that still caused a trail of red liquid to drip from the wound. “Wanda…” 

“I got this, Vis.” She smiled and finally, the armed men made their way to her and she took one last glance at him. Their eyes connected deeply and she dipped her head, giving him a look of comfort. _We’ll see each other again soon._ She promised and at last, two men took grip of her arms and she maintained her gaze at him, seeing his struggle against himself to knock them away but her expression ordered him to allow it. 

_‘Wanda Maximoff, you are under arrest on violation of Section B, Page 113, stating no gifted individual should act in violent manners without the jurisdiction of the United Nations. Raise your arms and restrict yourself or else tactical force will be employed.’_ A man screamed into her ear, despite being three or four inches away from her face. Her irises were a scarlet red and she looked into Vision’s eyes. He stared back at her in a helpless nature as the men took something from the carrier… it was a straight jacket… just like the ones she had been jailed in during her horrifyingly terrible years in Sokovia. 

Maybe that was what broke her and she looked down at her now restrained arms, and all she could see was wind around her and the terrain of Sokovia as they grabbed her by each arm and dragged her away from Vision. “That is unnecessary, she will cause you no harm-” Vision tried to argue but they quickly turned their guns on him and he quieted, keeping his eyes on Wanda’s body as she was dragged away into the one, armed jet the tactical response team had arrived in. _Wanda._ He called her name but she had already been turned around. Her feet boarded her onto the deck of the metal craft and soon, she was sat beside Barton and Sam. 

“Fancy seeing you here.” Sam joked but suddenly, as soon as he spoke one of the men pulled their gun on him with his finger beside the trigger. 

“No speaking.” He ordered and Sam looked at him, shaking his head and scoffing. His costume had been stripped of him and he was in a navy t-shirt with his surname on the back. Wanda recalled he was a special operations soldier and her respect for the man grew slightly. She always wanted to be a hero when she was younger… not like this. Part of a service to protect her country, not a circus that had a new act every few months. 

She would be the animal of the circus. Wanda considered herself unpredictable… dangerous. She tried to change it desperately but it was like whenever she tried to make something better, more blood was spilt on her hands. Barton’s eyes were on her and the straight jacket she was kept in and he groaned beside her, looking at one of the men standing in front of the young girl. The majority of the rifles were trained on her, and Scott. Their fingers were on their triggers… like she was a monster that needed to be euthanized. “Is that really necessary?” 

“I said… no talking. As of now, you’re all enemies of the state and we will be transferring you to a high-security imprisonment, as stated under the jurisdiction of the Sokovia Accords.” A voice came over the P.A in the ship and Wanda raised her head, as much as she could with the grievance of the straight jacket. Her breathing was even as the engine of the plane started with an uproarious sound and even as she was transported miles away from him, she could hear Vision’s thoughts. She could hear her name. 

Slowly, her eyelashes started to become heavy and it was like something in her was pushing her to sleep. Mostly, she didn’t want to think of the restraints she was wearing, and the familiar cage she was about to be set in. Her head accidentally leaned on Barton’s shoulder as she fell asleep and Barton looked down at her sleeping head, glaring at the straight jacket she was wearing. “Jesus, is she going to have to wear that the entire time?” 

There was no response, but the silence was enough of an answer. _This…_ _it’s Sokovia all over again. I cannot do this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks guys for reading! i was thinking of doing some more building before this, but i think i'm going to do it post civil war which pretty much will be the next chapter, since im gonna show them in the Raft, and then Steve breaking them out. After that, i'll show them as runaways, etc, etc... you see where i'm going with this :3 thanks so much for reading, guys! also, holy shit, new episode of wandavision was insane wtf, i have so many theories haha. okay, before i rant, have an amazing week! <3


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There were consequences for actions.

“She’s a kid!” Barton beat against his bars as the senator stood before Wanda’s cage, looking at her sedated self. She sat on her bed with her arms kept in a straight jacket and her knees curled up before her chest. How long had it been? A day? Two? “This is crazy.” They were keeping her on sedation, mostly since it was a known fact that she could easily level the entire prison. 

They weren’t actually sure where they were. Sometimes she could hear cracks of lightning and the roaring of ses, but she was not sure if she was just losing her mind. “She’s a kid who can kill every single soldier in this facility. Barton, frankly, you’ve lost the ability to decide what’s right and what is wrong.” The senator stated and he pressed a dial beside Wanda’s cage, making the bars dance with electricity. “Don’t try it.” He coldly spoke and she turned her head away from him, looking down to the floor and heaving a deep sigh. 

Scattered conversation and arguments, mostly originating from Barton, fled through her mind but she wasn’t listening for a second. It was like a time loop. She saw in a scarlet vision, in that sight she saw almost a silhouette of Pietro in the corner of the room… like it was Sokovia once again. Her expression was dead and her face was chillingly quiet.  _ Three days… four tomorrow.  _ “Kid… you alright?”

Her head picked up and she realized she’d been sitting through the older man’s speech and the room was now empty of his stench. “Feeling kinda woozy.” Wanda tried to joke, but the sedation in her veins made her words almost slurred, but not completely.  _ Steve will come get us… Vision will come get me.  _ She kept her faith and she took a deep sigh, letting her hair fall down in front of her eyes. 

“Just keep your chin up… Cap’ll come get us.” 

“Will he?” Scott asked, placing his hands on the iron bars of his cell and squeezing the metal until his knuckles turned white. “How do we know he made it?” His voice resonated through the speakers of his cell and Scott paced back and forth like a child. 

It was strange… Wanda assumed she was  _ hundreds of miles  _ away from him… but she could still hear Vision’s voice speaking her name. It was like she could hear him, like they had some connection even though they hadn’t seen each other for days. Wanda almost smiled when she remembered she had kissed his cheek, and the anxious yet charmed look on his face… and then seconds later, she was torn away from him. “He did.” Sam spoke with unimaginable faith and loyalty. 

“He did.” Wanda repeated, though she knew it for a fact. Her hair was clean and fair, and hung over her shoulders beside her cheekbones. “Drugs are making it a bit foggy, but… they arrived an hour ago, around that.” Wanda murmured softly in a pained voice, and it was like she was hanging with the scent of death. It was wafting from her cell and she was taking away any non-present joy in the room. 

Pietro’s scarlet silhouette lingered in her sight when she closed her eyes and she cleared her throat and shook his face from her mind.  _ Get out of my head, please.  _ She asked him, but the simulacra did not listen. It grew silent again and she could feel Barton’s eyes on her, but she looked away, turning around. Wanda couldn’t even lay down properly with her arms constricted. She just sat, looking at the sickeningly clean floor and letting quiet tears fall down her cheeks. 

Wanda didn’t make a sound, she didn’t say a word she just sat there, feeling like a monster. She was a monster with a leash around her neck, and the sedation in her veins proved that. Then… she heard it. It was a mind… it was a person. “Stark is here.” Wanda murmured, not looking up from the floor but hearing the shuffle across the large room. 

“This should be good.” Sam chuckled, bracing his fist against one of the walls of his cell, making Wanda jump and imprinting a dent into the plaster. Clint’s eyes still trained on Wanda, he scoffed, feeling an anger in him. Her expression was dead and her eyes were half open from her sedated state. He realized Stark allowed this… he allowed them to sedate her, restrain her, like this. It was disgusting. 

And then… the doors opened, and there he was. Wanda didn’t need to raise her head, she could sense him. Honestly, she was surprised they hadn’t separated her from the rest, she heard Ross discussing it earlier. They were treating her like a war criminal. “And he arrives, the futurist is here ladies and gentlemen, the futurist.” Barton stood, staring through the bars of his cell and glaring towards Stark. 

He wore a brisk suit and his hair was gelled. The scent wafted through the cell block. Stark’s eyes lingered on Wanda and she looked up, her eyes a bright scarlet color in the straight jacket. Then, the tire in her body grew from the sedatives and she sat on the cell’s bed, bending her knees to her chest and ducking her head on her knees. “He sees all! He knows what’s best for you, whether you like it or not.” 

“Give me a break, Barton… I didn’t know they’d put you here, c’mon.” Tony approached Clint’s cell and the imprisoned man stood, approaching the bars and staring at the billionaire’s dark, brown eyes. Barton laughed, genuinely laughed in Stark’s face and turned his back, pacing the cell.

“Yeah, well, you knew they’d put us somewhere…” He bared his teeth, turning around and sitting on the stale mattress. The metal of the cell was decorated with the slightest hint of stain and Stark pressed his finger against one of the smudges, rubbing it away with his finger.   
Tony still had a bruise just below his eye, from where Wanda had summoned those cars onto his body. A small dot of blood lived underneath the bruise and Wanda released a slow exhale. “Yeah, but not this… super-max, floating ocean pokey. Y’know this place is for maniacs, it’s for… for-” 

“Criminals. Criminals, Tony… think that’s the word you’re looking for. Right? That didn’t use to mean me, or Sam… or Wanda. But, here we are.” Their eyes connected and Stark lowered his head, fingering the fabric of his jacket. Wanda slowly realized how terrified Barton’s family must’ve been. She cringed, sucking the interior of her teeth and realizing she had broken yet another family. 

Wanda started with her parents… maybe she could have done something to protect them, if she was a little faster, or smarter. And then, it was Pietro. Several bullets still lived in his decomposing body. His grave was able to be overlooked from Wanda’s balcony, that was something she had asked for… then, she broke up the Avenger’s. The world’s  _ strongest  _ heroes. Maybe they were the strongest, but they were a mess, especially herself. “Because you broke the law. I didn’t make you. You read it, you broke it. Alright? You’re all grown up, you’ve got a wife and kids. I don’t understand, why didn’t you think about them when you chose the wrong side?” 

That wasn’t the right sentence. Barton rose quickly and he slammed his hands against the bars of the cell and it echoed throughout the block. “Gotta watch your back with this guy, he might break it.” Stark slowly stepped away and his footsteps echoed across the cell block. His left arm was in a sling. It was jet black and matched the rest of his outfit. Tony stopped before Scott’s cage and looked the man in the eyes. 

“Hank Pym always said, ‘you never can trust a Stark.’” 

“Who are you, again?” Scott silenced himself and slowly, Stark stood before Wanda’s cage. His movements stopped and he took in the sight of the sedated girl. Her eyes met his and they dazed over his body in an exhausted fashion. Her dark blue straight jacket coated her torso and she struggled weakly against it to no avail. 

Wanda raised her head, looking him in the eyes and keeping her chin on the peaks of her kneecaps. “Stark.” She greeted him softly, but the slow anger in her voice was apparent. Her eyes tracked Stark as he watched Wanda, unsure what to say. “Loss for words…?” Wanda whispered gently, tilting her head, or moving as much as the jacket would permit. 

She turned around before he could respond and sat the same way but deliberately turned her back to him. “They sedated her.” Barton explained in a furious voice and he grabbed the bars of his cell, looking at Tony while he inspected Wanda’s weak figure. It was like she was a breath away from falling into sleep. “Can’t have her getting loose, right?” 

Wanda turned around suddenly and stood, almost swaying on her feet for a moment. “Come here…” She whispered and Stark obliged, but this time, he stayed a few inches away from the bars, as they were wired with electricity that could kill with a touch. “Look at me… tell me, Stark… how are you any different than Strucker…? Congratulations… I’m in Sokovia again.” Her voice was soft and she looked in Tony’s eyes with her irises painted a scarlet color. Though, it wasn’t like the color that used to live in her eyes when she used her powers. It was barely a powder in her eyes and it was subdued by the sedatives. 

“I didn’t know they would-”

“Stop.” Wanda hushed him, turning back around when she felt dizzy and settling herself on the hard bed of the cell and lying her head down.  _ I just need a moment… I’m tired.  _ She thought, shutting her eyelids and sighing a slow exhale. “Just stop.” Wanda murmured, shaking her head and closing her eyes. 

The room grew silent once again and Stark’s eyes remained on her as she began to submit herself to the sedative… she was too tired. “How’s Rhodes?” Sam asked, his back turned and his back stiff. Wanda listened for a moment, even if she was drowsy beyond belief. Her head was ringing and her ears had a high pitch in them. 

When Rhodes was mentioned, Tony’s posture changed and it was like a murdered friend had been mentioned. “Well… they’re flying him out to Columbia Medical tomorrow, so… fingers crossed.” His expression and voice was softer now and the blinding, overhead light of the block reflected across the leather of Tony’s back. “What do you need, they feed you yet?” Tony asked, looking up to Sam and seeing the man shake his head in disbelief. 

When the ‘falcon’ turned, he revealed a mess of purple, bruised skin on his left cheek that hadn’t previously been there… not in Germany, at least. “You’re the good cop now?” Sam laughed, crossing his arms and tightening the fabric of his shirt against his biceps. 

“I’m just the guy who needs to know where Steve Rogers went.” Stark’s tone was cold again and his eyes looked back to Wanda, but she had slipped into a state of unconsciousness. Out of the corner of his eye, Stark could see Barton watching over her, almost as if he had to protect her from Stark. It was… sweet. Wanda never had parents… she lost them when she was ten, she couldn’t even remember their faces anymore. Wanda guilted herself on that. What kind of daughter was she? She couldn’t remember her  _ parents.  _

Sam turned around again, shutting his eyes and then suddenly walking back, placing his hands on the bars and shaking them. “You better get a bad cop then because you’re gonna have to go Mark Furhman on my ass to get information out of me.” The lights shone down on Sam’s dark skin and he furrowed his eyebrows. 

But suddenly, Tony swiped the few buttons on his watch and a holographic chart appeared then blinked away. Sam knitted his eyebrows together and looked to Tony in confusion. “Well, I just knocked the ‘a’ out of their A.V. We got about thirty seconds before they realized it’s not their equipment. Just look.” Tony’s wrist was close to his chest and the photo of a bloody corpse wavered in the air. Sam stepped closer to the bars and he looked down at the photo, then his eyes averted to Tony. 

“Cause that is the fella who’s supposed to interrogate Barnes. Clearly, I made a mistake, Sam, I was wrong. Cap is  _ definitely  _ off the reservation but he’s about to need all the help he can get. We don’t know each other very well, you don’t have to-”

“It’s… alright.” Sam shut his eyes and breathed for a moment, looking out across the ‘heroes’ that were imprisoned beside him. Scott, robbed of his suit and dressed in a prison jumpsuit, though he didn’t look too alarmed. Barton… he had his eyes on Wanda, who slept but was awake at the same time. Her eyes were closed, yes, but that was mostly due to the sedative. She was listening full and well. “Look, I’ll tell you… but you have to go alone, and as a friend.” 

Stark rested his hand on the bar and nodded, relaxing his figure. “Easy.” Stark nodded, and Sam leaned in, whispering something in Stark’s ear. The imprisoned man slowly backed away and he looked at Stark, taking in his grateful expression. “Thank you.” He nodded and Sam didn’t respond, he just turned away. As he was on his way out of the room, Stark took one last look at Wanda, moving towards her cell. 

Wanda opened her eyes, looking to him and sitting up slowly in the cage. Her face was damp even in her sleep and she wiped her cheeks. The cell even reeked of Sokovia and she was forced to revisit memories she’d learned to hide away. The drugs in her system made her movements slower and Stark watched with guilt. “I’m sorry, kid.” He murmured, looking into her eyes and watching her slow and dazed movements. “I didn’t know…” His sentence trailed off and she balanced herself with her legs. “For the record… Vision wanted to come with me.” 

Her eyes picked up at that sentence and somehow it made her look even sadder. “Is he alright?” Wanda asked, looking into Stark’s eyes and searching for anything. She read his mind and she saw Vision, just… sitting. Not speaking, not doing anything, just… thinking. It looked to be only a few minutes after she’d been taken. Part of her warmed at that thought and a smile almost curled on her face. Stark nodded, watching her with sympathy… no. Pity. A single tear pooled in her eye and due to the straight jacket, she couldn’t wipe it away so it just sat there.

Wanda looked up with shimmering eyes and dipped her head, taking a deep breath that was screened through the speakers of the cell. The gruff of her one or two tears swimmed down each side of her cheek and poured through the audio and she looked up to Stark, taking a low exhale. “Thank you.” 

Stark couldn’t find himself to acceptice that gratitude and he watched her for another second before turning around, taking a deep breath. He was silent as he exited the cell block and Wanda watched him go, clearing her throat and sitting back against the wall while her legs sat on the hard bed. “Think he’ll help them?” Scott asked as Wanda shut her eyes.   
Her eyelashes tickled the tops of her cheeks and as she began to fall to the sedative’s seduction of sleep, she opened her eyes weakly and she saw Vision in the corner of her cell. Wanda knew somewhere it wasn’t really him, but he was the only one who cared about her, or so she believed. He sat there with his violet skin being illuminated under the blinding lights of the cell. _Vision?_ She mentally asked, looking at him and batting her eyelashes, trying to make sure she wasn’t going crazy. _‘I’m not leaving. I shall be right here.’ You’re not real. ‘Perhaps not… but I am staying right here. Until I arrive.’_ Wanda actually smiled and she shut her eyes, imagining the mattress sinking under Vision’s weight as he sat beside her. He waved away the memories of Strucker and Pietro and simply, his simulacra sat there and she waited for him. 

  
  


They had separated her from the rest and she felt her sanity testing itself. Wanda waited for minutes, then hours, then days. Wanda recalled when they had taken her away and she remembered Ross’ expression. 

_ ‘Hey, hey, what are you doing?’ Barton demanded as the four guards approached Wanda’s cell. She raised her head and her breathing rate increased as the cell door was opened and the bars slid open. ‘Hey!’ He slammed his fist against his cell but there was no answer. Wanda looked as one of the guards entered her cell and swallowed, moving away from him. ‘We have decided after close analysis of danger that Ms. Maximoff is to be transported into her own cell division.’ Ross spoke, looking into Wanda’s eyes as two of the men grabbed her by her arms and hurled her up. ‘I can walk by myself.’ She hissed, tearing her arm from the men and looking at Ross with a fury. Slowly, she passed by him and was led towards the exit of the room. ‘This is some bullshit.’ Sam spoke and Wanda looked into Barton’s eyes as she was escorted out of the room but it was broken when she passed through the door.  _

“This is insane.” Wanda whispered to herself, shutting her eyes and leaning her head against the wall. She counted to herself and counted the seconds and each minute that went by.  _ Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten…  _ “Where are you…?” She whined, standing and trying to see outside of the cell. Was Steve coming? What had happened, where was Bucky, where was Stark? She felt helpless and she wanted to rage. 

Wanda fought against the straightjacket and still, it didn’t even budge. She slid against the wall, feeling useless and feeling two tears rip down either side of her cheeks. When she opened her eyes, she could see Pietro sitting across from her. The cell looked identical to the hell she had lived in in Sokovia and it was like she couldn’t really breathe right in it. Her cell, this new one, was made entirely of glass with metal on each corner. She felt like an animal at a zoo in the glass cage and Wanda glared at the camera in the corner of the room and she bore her eyes into the lens with hatred. 

She thought of Vision. In the full week of solitary confinement, she had thought of him frequently. Wanda recalled herself kissing his cheek and when she remembered his flustered expression, she smiled. She wished for his presence. She felt unsafe, she was scared… and it was then Wanda realized that Vision had become safety for her. Vision had become one of the few reasons for her to rise each morning and she furrowed her eyebrows when she remembered she wasn’t able to tell him that. 

But suddenly, pulling her out of her thoughts, there was a gunshot and Wanda gasped. Fear filled her and she swallowed, trying to look out of the cell but seeing no one. “Guard?” She whispered and heard her voice pour out in the speakers attached to her cell on the other side. There was another gunshot and Wanda jumped, pressing her spine to the back of her cell and feeling her irises fill with a dull scarlet. 

She didn’t know whether to be silent or to scream, to hide or to yell for Clint or Sam, or Scott… though it was doubtful she was even on the same level as them. When she was with Clint and the others, she felt safe at least. Accelerating her fear, there was a sudden amber blast and from the corner of the vision she was allowed in the cell, a limp hand fell right at the end of the cell. Soon, her breathing grew quicker and quicker as a shadow grew at the end of the cell and then all of a sudden, someone was in the cell with her. “Wanda.” 

She screamed and turned around, expecting to die but instead, she saw violet skin and teal irises staring back at her. “Vision?” She breathed and Wanda looked him up and down, still in the opposite corner of the cell as him. There was a moment of silence and he inspected her. His sight settled on the straightjacket and he gave her a look of pity. “Why are you here?” Wanda breathed and he was silent, inspecting her.  _ Levels of sedation in the bloodstream.  _ Vision thought and in an unprecedented matter, he felt anger. 

“I promised you that I shall protect you. I keep my promises, Wanda Maximoff.” Wanda looked up at him with shimmering eyes and smiled for the first time since they had been arrested. There was a moment of silence and he looked down to the cloth binding her arms. “Animals.” He muttered, quickly tearing the material of the restraints and freeing her. 

There was an aching in her arms and she stretched her forearms, rolling her shoulders back and forth, though the pain still resonated in the limbs. And then, before she knew what else to do, she employed her arms and wrapped them around Vision. Her head laid just below his chin and he looked down to her, slowly returning the favor. “Thank you.” She whispered with her voice slightly muffled and his arms fastened around her waist. 

“I promised you, I shall protect you… did I not?” He asked, and for a moment, he held her hand, looking into her eyes. Wanda seemed to… well, she stopped. She then considered his promise was true and it wasn’t just chattering, it was true.  _ He wasn’t leaving.  _

Suddenly, there were footsteps behind the both of them and she turned her expression, seeing the frightful expression of a man meeting her eyes. It was one of the guards and she recognized it as one of the bastards who had ripped her away from Clint. Her irises were shifted a dull color of red and she forced her hands forward, trying to push the man against the wall but there was nothing, she looked like a maniac. Wanda looked down at her hands, trying again but the most she spurred upon the man was the most subtle hint of a scarlet drop. Suddenly, the man’s finger placed itself on the trigger with the barrel pointed towards Wanda and Vision instantly stopped the assault, crystallizing the density of his skin and standing before Wanda, taking the bullet. Due to the density of his skin, the lead fell off of his bicep and he raised his arm, sending the man back into the wall and rendering him unconscious. 

“Wanda? Are you alright?” 

“My… my abilities, they sedated me… they’re not working.” Wanda’s voice was haled and scared and she looked down to her hands, trying to summon any power from her palms but nothing came out and she widened her eyes. She rubbed her hands together and tried to burst any energy from the tips of her fingers but nothing came. 

Vision watched as she desperately tried to get anything to work and finally, he took her hands, pausing her helpless attempts to bring her gift back. “I’m positive it’s temporary, Wanda, do not worry.” His voice comforted her and she looked up at him, nodding. She slipped her hands into the pockets of her jumpsuit and looked out towards the open cell. “Captain Rogers had already fetched the others, I’m sure they’re waiting for us at the jet.” 

He kept her hand in his and he led her through the hallways. Every now and then, an unconscious body would be on the floor and Wanda would look to see the traces of Vision’s blasts in their rising chests. He fought to get to her, and she squeezed his hands. “Vision… thank you.” She repeated and he paused for a moment, looking back at her and smiling. 

“Could we bargain a deal, Wanda?” She dipped her head and allowed him to air this ‘deal.’ “May we… stay together?” He asked her, looking into the dull shade of her scarlet irises and she returned the gaze, smiling and nodding. 

“I… I think I’d like that.” She murmured, unsure of what to say next as she had never… had this. Never would she have imagined when her friendship with Vision began that  _ this  _ would result, but… she was grateful. Wanda looked forward to the fact that they would be able to figure out that comma to the sentence after they had fled the nightmare of the prison. 

That sentence seemed to light up Vision’s face and she smiled at his innocence. With his hand still in hers, they approached the exit and Wanda happily pushed the final gates open, seeing the lights of the quinjet in the distance of the watery prison. Droplets of water and spurts of sea filled the bridge and slowly, -together- they made their way onto the jet and the opening to the vehicle closed as they entered. “Steve.” Wanda smiled, and he smiled back, looking at her for a short time before moving towards the front of the plane. When Wanda looked in the cockpit that Steve then sat in and beside him, she saw Sam sitting beside him, controlling the engine and whirring the jets of the vehicle quickly. 

“Clint.” She breathed, crossing the jet and sitting besides him, hugging the man and he quickly wrapped his arms around her. 

“Kid. I thought they moved you out of the building.” He exhaled, releasing her and looking her up and down for any marks but beside the residue of the sedative in her veins. The ache of her head was monolithic and she shook her head at Clint’s suspicion. Wanda looked as if she was going to speak but then, she simply just shut her mouth and looked down, shaking her head. 

The fear in her when she had first been taken away from the others rang in her head but with Clint beside her, she retreated from the fear. Wanda shook her head, sitting beside Clint and he slowly placed his arm on her shoulder, testing her boundary. and briefly ending the conversation, there was a second of rain pouring against the left wing of the quinjet and for a second, it dipped to the side and Wanda sat down on the grooved seat in one of the corners of the ship, curling her knees to her chest and settling her arms around them. Her chin rested atop the peaks of her kneecaps and she looked out the tiny gap of glass that gave her vision of the terrain below. It was vast ocean and rough seas but the hints of land started to appear. 

“It’s so pretty… isn’t it?” Wanda asked, looking next to her when she felt Vision’s presence sit beside her. He sat across from her in the small window bench and pressed his hand on the glass, looking down at the obscene drop below the glass. “Just the water, and the land, and clouds.”

Vision’s eyes averted to her for a moment and he watched her look out across the sea. It was cold and the drafty jumpsuit wasn’t exactly the warmest outfit. “Here… it’d be unideal for you to catch a cold.” Wanda felt Vision drape a blanket over her and she looked away from the window, searching his fabricated, teal eyes and finding… peace. 

Her fingers pulled the blanket closer to her and she whispered an etch of gratitude, taking his left hand and sharing the blanket with him. He wore his regular outfit and his cape drifted from the hind of his shoulders. “Vision… I’ve been thinking… after Pietro was killed… I would just move through each day. Training, sleep, training sleep…” Her voice was soft so that he was the only one that heard her and he listened closely, hearing every hitch of her breath. “But, I… thank you… for not dying.” She spoke in a gentle tone and looked into his eyes, watching his expressions carefully. He smiled at the last fragment and let her tilt her head onto his shoulder as she began to fall to unconsciousness. 

Her lips curled up slightly and she nodded, curling her knees up and surrounding her legs with her hands. He adjusted his arm around her and she tucked her head under his, yawning slightly. Slowly, she fell asleep and her body relaxed with his arm tucked around her. 

Vision looked down at her, watching her breathe and watching her sleep. There was a mark on her finger from one of the electric bars on her cells and Vision slowly realized that he cared about her  _ immensely.  _ It was odd… it wasn’t in his programming. But with each breath she released, he followed her. Vision adjusted the blanket around her and brushed her arm gently.  _ What… is this?  _ Vision asked himself, watching her long eyelashes brush against her cheeks as she slept. 

He thought, at first, he just cared for her because they had grown a platonic relationship in the months after her brother’s death. But then… when she left the safety of the Avengers’ ‘estate,’ he worried. He worried and he realized his care for her.  _ I am… unsure what it is I am feeling, Wanda Maximoff… but I do not wish for it to stop.  _ He thought as the quinjet tore through the skies, and he looked up. “Cap… where are we going?” Barton asked after almost an hour and the audience awaited his answer.

“Somewhere safe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks everyone for reading, hope you liked it :3 i was doing all of this on a marvel binge and like pretty high on caffiene haha :3 i'm gonna do some more building of w/v next chapter, the beginning of infinity war won't be for a WHILE, just saying, since canonically, it was two years at least between the end of civil war and start of infinity war. ok, enough ranting, new update soon! <3


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What are you supposed to live for with no purpose?

“Somewhere safe.” The man responded, and Vision realized that the battered, vibranium shield that Captain Rogers had carried around vanished. Vision hadn’t heard from Mister Stark in a few days and he found it and the missing shield suspicious, though he did not want to move or talk loudly… Wanda clearly needed the sleep, judging from the slight circles under her eyes. He felt… guilty. It was like Wanda had made him feel more… human. 

Vision was fabricated for one reason: to destroy Ultron. He was with no other purpose than as a weapon… and then… well, he didn’t know. It was like someone had snapped their fingers and suddenly, Vision had a breath of fresh air. It wasn’t meant to happen, he wasn’t supposed to care about her, but he did. He cared about her. “Why does somewhere safe look like the middle of nowhere?” Sam looked through the glass of the quin-jet and saw a small town below it. The plane was still in cloaked mode, so they made a silent descent to the ground. 

“Well, half the world knows who the Avengers are… we need to keep a low profile, for now, at least.” Steve answered, placing his hands on his waists and looking down at his uniform. The stars and stripes had been tainted, both with dirt and what looked like his own blood. No one asked where Bucky was, no one asked where Stark was… they just remained quiet, all of them reeling from the week’s events. 

The doors of the jet rumbled and Wanda slowly stirred with Vision’s arm still around her. “Think we might need to ditch the jumpsuits.” Barton spoke, pulling on the navy blue fabric of his outfit and slipping the shirt over his head, leaving him in a white t-shirt he had underneath. Wanda looked down at her own jumpsuit, but she decided it was better than a straitjacket. She shut her eyes again for a moment as the team spoke. She found the conversations draining for the moment, as the sedative was still in her system. 

Vision looked down to his red skin and sighed, shutting his eyes. Slowly, artificial skin began to paint his body and blonde hair ran from his skull. His teal irises remained and it ensured his identity to those who knew him. Still, it would keep him out of the public eye, as a red abomination walking around the town was rather easy to spot. When Wanda looked up at him as the team began to empty out of the vehicle, her face seemed to ease slightly. She tried to use her abilities once again, spurt any scarlet from her fingertips, but nothing came. Faint dusting of scarlet emerged from her hands, but it was nowhere near the magnitude of energy she could usually produce. 

“Are you feeling well enough to accompany us? If not, I could remain here with-” 

“I’m fine, Vis.” She spoke in a soft voice, much quieter than she had before the incident both at the prison and the airport. He had a feeling that would remain for a few days, it was clear being alone in that cell -just like Sokovia- had brought back things she didn’t want to remember… it had affected her. Wanda was a little quieter and reserved. He blamed himself for not arriving with Stark. Perhaps he could have gotten her out, or just gave her a smile.  
Vision looked in her eyes and gently, he took her hand and she looked into his eyes. Wanda accepted and she wrapped her fingers around his, and it was odd not seeing his cranberry skin wrapped around his face. “You know… you look handsome like that.” He smiled at the compliment as they dismounted the vehicle. 

The sun had begun to slow in the sky and Wanda had taken a cotton hat from the quin jet, slipping it over her the back of her head in an attempt to hide her identity. Before Lagos, no one knew who she was… then she killed nineteen people, and everyone knew her as a monster. The town was small and Wanda could see Steve, Barton and Sam a few feet ahead. Dozens of people in the bustling market meant that Vision and Wanda were able to slip by without notice. He stood before her in a protective matter, to hide her identity from anyone who passed by. 

Wanda still held the blanket she had on the vehicle and she used it to hide the jumpsuit that she still wore. “It might be best to get rid of this.” Wanda remarked, looking down at the outfit and seeing a small shop a few ways away. She gently pulled him along as Wanda pushed through the door of the building. There was a small ringing of a bell as the door opened and she looked up, seeing a Captain America sticker latched on the door. 

Slowly, she broke away from Vision and looked through the racks of the store, just trying to find the lowest price tag.  _ We need to save money. We’re going to need it for hotels, food… survival.  _ She wondered how long this would sustain, but she was used to it. Wanda had learned how to survive at an early age without any money or commercial food. Finally she picked out a simple sweatshirt and dark black skirt with tiny lilacs imprinting down the fabric. 

Vision had already been dressed in one of his infamous navy shirts, so he wasn’t recognizable. He watched Wanda’s reserved movements and he watched her slip into the dressing room. Breaking his sight away, the small television in the corner played small audio in the minuscule shop. There was a young girl behind the counter and Vision was surprised by her age. She looked only fourteen or fifteen and had electric violet hair that was held back in a ponytail.  _ ‘... Several suspects involved in the gunfire and assault that took place days ago in a German Airport, involving the Avengers…’  _ When he saw a picture of Wanda beside Barton’s and Sam’s, he turned his back to the young cashier and shut his eyes.  _ This might end in an unideal scenario.  _ He thought and he cleared his throat.  _ How do I act more… human?  _ He slouched his shoulders slightly. 

_ ‘Where are our heroes now? Who is going to protect us in the scenario of another crisis?’  _ The television suddenly shut off and Vision had seen a trace of scarlet emerging from the dressing room for a moment prior. The cashier pushed her lips to one side of her face and looked up at the monitor with a quizzical glare. She then raised a remote, turning it back on and then lowering the control. “Have you ever seen them, the Avengers?” She asked, her voice in a high tone and he looked to her, anxiously itching his fingertips against each other. 

“No, I don’t really… know much about them.” He tried to deepen his voice and he  _ swore  _ he heard Wanda’s soft chuckle from the dressing room. Vision turned back around, pretending to fiddle with one of the racks of clothing and just hoping that Wanda would hurry up and even though she was in the other room, he could feel her smile. But he couldn’t deny the small flutter in his stomach when he heard her laugh, and he didn’t even  _ have  _ a stomach.

Finally Wanda emerged from the dressing room in her outfit and she had effectively left the jumpsuit in the dressing room. She casually walked towards the cashier and kept her head down with the tip of her hat scrutinizing the image of her eyes. Vision looked at her and he took in the natural beauty of her and he felt his artificial cheeks blush. “Just these two, thanks.” Wanda murmured, smoothing out her accent and fabricating an american accent with natural talent.

Her voice was smooth and she took a few dollars from her pocket, around fifteen dollars, and slipped the new paper into the young girl’s grip. Their hands brushed for a moment and Wanda looked up. Suddenly the girl grabbed her hand and looked her in the eyes. Vision turned around as the girl seized Wanda’s wrist and he moved towards both of them, standing beside Wanda. “Holy  _ shit _ ! You’re Wanda Maximoff!” She gibed, pulling Wanda closer and inspecting every glimmer in her skin under the fluorescent lights. Wanda tried to pull her hands back but the young girl kept her grip and Wanda looked down, shying away from her sight. Vision raised his head and walked towards the conversation, swallowing. 

“What? No, I think you have the wrong-” 

“No, look, your eyes are red, or… kinda red!” The girl’s voice was a high pitch and at the mention of her irises, they flared and then returned to the mute, lowered scarlet. Had she really lost such control of her powers? Of course she stood out like a sore thumb. Her eyes were still a faint red due to the last kicks of the sedative and she tried to clear the color but it was like she had lost her own control of her abilities. “Shit, I never thought I’d meet an Avenger! Can you sign my trading cards?” Vision was now beside Wanda and she looked up to him, then back at the cashier when she felt a tug on her wrist. Finally, Vision reached over and disconnected Wanda’s hand from the girl’s and surprisingly, Wanda slipped her fingers around Vision’s. It was clear how uncomfortable she was, but the girl didn’t seem to notice, or she didn’t care. Vision allowed her grip and squeezed her hand. 

“Really, I’m not… these are just contacts, they aren’t-”

The girl placed two trading cards down on the glass register table and Wanda looked down at them, reading two names.  _ Wanda Maximoff… Pietro Maximoff. The Twins.  _ Vision stood beside her and he placed a hand on her shoulder, looking at the girl. She was impatiently awaiting Wanda’s signature and she passed a pen to her, placing it in Wanda’s fingers. 

That quieted the young woman and she used her free hand to pick up Pietro’s card, and then released Vision’s hand and took her own card. It was odd… she could see the illustration of him with several bullet holes in his chest and Vision noticed her sudden silence. It was like a dark cloud had dawned over Wanda and she looked down at the cards and the uncomfortable look on her face instantly translated into one of grief. 

“I think our time here is overdue, thank you.” Vision spoke quickly, wrapping his arm around Wanda and gently directing her towards the exit, but it was as if she had entered a trance but with the bustle of the street, slowly it was broken. 

Wanda had stolen them… she held Pietro’s card in her hand, hiding in the pocket of her sweatshirt and she rubbed the paper of the card until it had begun to wear. It was a drawing of her brother with herself beside him. The drawing’s eyes were blood red and she then remembered her own irises. “I can’t get my powers to settle down.” She felt a ringing in her head and Wanda placed her hand on her head, taking deep intakes of air. “Damn it…” She exhaled, rubbing the paper of Pietro’s card in her pocket and remembering Vision’s arm around her shoulder.

Vision stared at her for a moment, looking her up and down and Wanda looked into his eyes with a confused state. “It appears the sedative seems to have accelerated your physical abilities but blocked the receptors in your brain that are responsible for powering your abilities.” He spoke in a monotone voice and she nodded, fishing around in the pocket of her sweatshirt and slipping on a pair of large round glasses that faded the color of her eyes behind the lens. 

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Wanda breathed, stretching her neck and seeing the group of escapees they had banded together standing outside of a large motel. This was their life now… wasn’t it? Jumping between motels, living on the road like runaways with no home. Wanda had woken up from the dream, the hilarious idea that she was an Avenger… the spoken lie that she was anything more than a lab rat, or a killer. 

“Are you alright?” He asked her, seeing that she still had a look of grief dawning over her like a storm. She hesitated before finally nodding her head and pulling the cards from her pocket, looking at Pietro’s in the night. The moonlight illuminated the aged paper and she took a deep exhale, looking down at his drawn figure on the ink. 

It grew quiet for a moment and he awaited her words, seeing the seriousness in her young face. “It’s odd, I haven’t… thought about him in a while. That’s terrible, isn’t it?” She released a sad laugh and flipped over the card, reading a monetized version of her brother’s story, of  _ her  _ story. 

“I believe in the undergoing of grief, there are different branches one takes. You are finding how to go on. There is nothing terrible about that, in fact, it’s honorable.” He watched as she raised her head and smiled for a second, slipping the cards back into the pocket of her jacket and she felt her cheeks burn. 

“... thank you.” It was odd, before she was so sure she was a monster, but now… it was like each time Vision smiled at her, each time there was that sparkle in his eyes when he looked at her, she felt more human. It had been the same for him. He used to be a cod, unfeeling android that was meant for no other reason than to serve an agenda: to protect humanity. He’d known her for a few weeks shy of a year and somehow… she changed him in ways he could not have even configured weeks ago… they were falling for each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much guys for reading! i'm gonna upload the next chapter tomorrow because i'm actually very proud of how it came out. I've written vision and wanda finally kissing like three separate times but i want to build it up before i do it, no one's rushing me. just started watching agent carter, so on another marvel binge haha :3 have a good day everyone, it means so much to see so much support <3


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda can never escape her origin.

It was a week, it had been a hard, grueling week. There was  _ just  _ enough food to fill five mouths, as Scott had deviated back to his home in New York, presumably for the ‘greater good.’ It didn’t seem very ‘Scott’ in the short time Wanda had come to know him. Vision and Wanda hadn’t exactly… talked about ‘it’ yet. It being the connection that had begun to grow between them. “Here we go, switch?” Wanda asked Steve, tossing him a bag of chips from the vending machine and swiping the one in his hands. 

She carefully placed the change in her back pocket and looked towards the dark sky. Wanda leaned against the dirty railing of the motel’s second floor and opened the bag of chips, quickly scarfing them down. “Where to next, ‘Captain?’” 

“Wherever keeps us safe.” Steve answered in a low voice, as the chirps of crickets had echoed through the night. It must’ve been ten-thirty or eleven at night, and she had snuck out of her room in an insomniac nature. They had given  _ her  _ the only single room they had, despite her protesting that there was no need. But, she was a twenty year old girl, and they were all ‘chivalrous’ men, and she almost laughed at that thought. We’ll have to dip out soon, we can’t stay in one place for two long.” 

“Yes, everyone recognizes the famous face of Captain America.” 

“And not Wanda Maximoff?” She chuckled and looked in his eyes, shaking her head. As insects interacted with the fluorescent lights above, she could hear a small  _ buzz  _ as their bodies burned to charred ash under the heat. 

Her hair dipped down as she lowered her head and Wanda’s smile lowered for a moment. “The lab experiment? No, I’ll let you take the trophies for now, Steve.” She whispered back and Wanda reached into the pocket of her large jacket, fingering the paper of Pietro’s trading card, the one she had stolen.  _ Can’t believe they make these.  _ She thought, scrunching her eyebrows together and pulling it out of her pocket. 

They had given him a costume, a dark suit with a lightning bolt on the center of his chest… he was drawn in a comical fashion with his hair waving across the small card. His arm was drawn around Wanda, and she herself was an illustration with a dark cloak and corset underneath. Her eyes were glowing red and there were dense drawings of energy in her hands. “I’m going to… turn it in.” She whispered, crushing up the empty bag of chips and tossing it into the garbage can besides them. “Night… Steve.” She whispered, turning away under the yellow light and counting the steps towards her room. 

They had abandoned the quin jet, Steve deemed it too conspicuous for their new lives as established runaways. Wanda couldn’t remember what state they were in, they were all a blur to her. They hadn’t had such things in Sokovia, it was all one mass; one family. She would hear tales of the ‘great’ America, the land where everyone could be free and equal… the land where Pietro was slaughtered. Great. Free… yes, of course. 

As she slipped into the dark room of the motel, Wanda sighed, shutting her eyes. The pool of moonlight shattered the room from the drawn windows and illuminated her white skin in the twilight. She had run out of the medicine that Banner had given her, to help with the nightmares. Wanda didn’t sleep the night prior, or the night before that.  _ ‘You know… I don’t look too bad in that. Think that the girls back home-’ Oh, shut up.  _

Wanda knew that the voices in her head weren’t Pietro… it was just a fact. However, she would permit the closure that the thoughts gave her.  _ You’re a ghost, then? ‘Boo.’  _ She giggled at her ‘own’ thoughts and slipped under the blankets of the cheap bed. There was a bustling on the other side of the wall and she raised an eyebrow, smiling when she heard Vision’s voice through the thin walls. 

He growled and squinted his eyes in the dark, trying to push the small thread into the needle’s head, but in the dim light the lamp provided, it was useless. “Ah… superhuman eyesight for what…?” He grumbled, squinting and trying to push the string through again but it just didn’t budge. Vision heaved a deep exhale and looked towards the ripped shirt beside him and  _ once again _ , he tried to push the thread but failed. 

“As entertaining as it would be to watch you go on for the next ten minutes… need some help?” Wanda smiled, watching from his open window, as their two rooms were connected by an exterior fire escape in the motel. Vision smiled for a moment and shrugged, looking at the ripped fabric. 

“If it wouldn’t trouble you too much, yes.” She laughed softly and sat beside him on the bed, taking the needle and navy string. In a single attempt, she had threaded the needle and took the ripped shirt from him, holding it on her lap. 

Wanda felt his vision on her and she looked up at him. He nervously looked away when she met his eyes and she grinned shyly. “So… cannot sleep?” He asked her, noting the late hour as she gently pushed the needle through the dark blue fabric of his damaged shirt. Vision had maimed the article of clothing while out to fetch groceries. It was an advantage, his being able to shade his face. It meant he would not be recognized, while the others, especially Steve and Wanda, were a little more… distinguishable. 

“No…” She cleared her throat and looked up to his artificial skin and saw the colored blush of his cheeks. “So… can you… change your face?” 

“Oh… is this one unsavory, if so-”

“No, I… didn’t mean it like that.” Wanda smiled for a moment at his confusion and he watched her lips curl up in that smirk Vision had come to know. Her fingers danced along the fabric like a second nature and quickly she had made stitches along the bicep of the fabric and fingered the soft material. “How do you do it?” She asked, raising her hand and brushing the skin of his cheek with her thumb before retracting her touch. “It feels like skin… it’s impressive.” 

Vision cleared his throat, gently touching the brush of Wanda and almost trying to translate it to the rest of his nerves… she made him feel warm. “My synthetic molecules close themselves, form into Simulacra, to cloak as human cells would.” He held his hand up and suddenly, his scarlet skin took over his palm, shading his limb in red. Under the moonlight, the layer appeared as violet and she looked up from the sewing project for a moment. “It allows me to disguise myself as human.”  
Wanda looked back down and a strand of hair blocked her eyes from Vision’s view. “Well, being human is… weird. One of the weird things about humans? The moment a war ends, the same human that was shooting at you not five seconds ago is probably the same human that's hauling you to the nearest medical tent.” She murmured, pulling another stitch through the fabric of his shirt and bringing the two ripped flaps of cloth closer together by an inch. 

“You’re quite talented at this.” He observed as her fingers quickly exchanged the needle, making short work of the tear. 

“It’s in my blood, I suppose. My mother was a seamstress.” Wanda admitted, remembering a foggy image of her mother, though the woman had barely raised her. Though, Olga and Ilya Maximoff had perished. Their bodies were now ash, but no one was to blame for that… not even Stark. In her time, slowly -very slowly- she had learned to  _ try  _ and forgive Tony. 

In his time, he changed his ways, he wasn’t the same man he had been a decade ago.  _ ‘I am Iron Man.’  _ Those were the words she had read aloud to herself in Sokovia, years after her parents’ deaths. Pietro and Wanda fueled each other’s anger, if one ever was passive about their hatred, the tragedy in the other’s eyes would push the actions both of them had been through forward in their minds. “It’s odd… not having parents. I am old and young at the same time.” 

For a moment, Vision’s movements stalled, almost like his CPU was stuttering. “Do you remember…? Being born?” Wanda asked him in a soft tone and his teal irises met hers. Throughout the week, she had slowly regained her powers piece by piece and with each second the Raft’s affect on her decreased, she could feel herself get stronger. 

Steve tried to keep morale high.  _ ‘We’ll survive this! It won’t last forever! We’re doing great! The government will take us back, we’ll get an opportunity!’  _ “I can remember Mjolnir, and I remember her lightning pouring through me, powering me.” It was odd, when Vision had first been birthed, she was so determined to destroy him, she was sworn to destroy any trace of Ultron, but now… if she had been given a second chance at that day, she would  _ beg  _ Banner to bring Vision to her. The android made her feel fuzzy, and the way he looked at her made Wanda feel important and warm. “When I opened my eyes, I first saw you, and then Mister Stark.”

Vision watched her as she worked through the rips of the shirt and she caressed the fabric, sewing it together. “Do you…? Remember being born?” He asked her and he watched her go quiet for a moment, but then she shook it off. 

“Not really… I can remember Pietro crying beside me.” She giggled softly, recalling the foggy memories and shutting her eyes for a moment, trying to picture her brother’s young face. Vision laughed gently beside her and she then opened her eyes, looking down at the damaged shirt. “I dunno, when I try to think of Sokovia, all I can really remember is… everything.” Wanda shrugged and she didn’t specify, but Vision knew what she was discussing. 

“The labs…?” He asked softly, and he scooted himself closer to her by an inch or two. Wanda paused for a second and she cleared her throat, flattening the now sewn shirt and keeping her head down. He knew the general description of what she’d had to endure, but honestly, he wasn’t sure. Curiosity was a human emotion, and it was like each day he could feel himself becoming less and less metal, and maybe that was a causality with their relationship.

She didn’t like thinking about it, Wanda wasn’t much of a healer. She just pushed it down until it didn’t hurt anymore. A faint red came to her eyes and she looked down at the shirt in her hands, slowly regaining control of her irises. “Yeah… mostly that.” Wanda murmured, sniffling and taking a deep breath. “Do… do you want me to… tell you?” She knew the answer was ‘yes,’ she could hear the curiosity echoing in his mind like the clang of a bell. 

Their eyes met and he looked down into her shining eyes, and he shook his head. “Wanda, you don’t need to… not if you’re uncomfortable.” He spoke in a low, soft whisper and his voice's artificial breath reflected on the top of her head as she broke his gaze and looked down at the shirt, fumbling with the needle when she had been so graceful a moment ago. 

The moonlight reflected through the window and she heaved a deep breath, shutting her eyes. The wonder and curiosity in Vision’s expression was clear, even if he denied it. Wanda opened her mouth, and it was like she would say something but she paused for a moment. Then, Wanda looked into his eyes and he returned her gaze. Something was comforting in his pitiful look and he shuffled closer to her to try and make her feel safer. Wanda then looked down to the shirt in her hands and realized her fingers were trembling slightly. Vision then placed his hands on hers and stopped the anxiety riddling her hands, and a warmth brushed her hand where he held it… the feeling of comfort and safety. 

_ “Pietro?” Wanda murmured, looking down at her burnt fingertips and sniffling. The pain echoed inside of her and she felt her brother take her trembling hands, and he held them with a warmth instigating his flesh, even in the freezing room. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for bringing us here.” Her voice broke and Pietro suddenly pulled her into his arms.  _

_ Hunger reflected in both of their stomachs and the room, the cell, smelled like coppery metal and blood. “We both did this.” His voice was strong and gentle at the same time and the cold caused his breath to be shown in the air. How long had it been? A year, two…? Three? Pietro nor Wanda counted the days anymore, it was just shock to shock, experiment to experiment. It was cold, it was so cold. They shared a single blanket that was held in tatters and coated with seven or eight snowflakes. “Have you eaten?”  _

_ Pietro stood and went to the bench of the cell, taking something from underneath the mattress. “Here… eat.” He whispered, ignoring the tightening of his gut when he looked at the stale piece of bread. “ _ Eat. _ ” He insisted and took the bread from the paper napkin, shoving it into her hands. “I’m not hungry.”  _

_ She wanted to deny him but she felt starved, so finally, she took the sliver of bread, scarving the food down in a moment. “If you keep stealing, you’re going to get shot.” Wanda whispered, clearing the crumbs from her lips and watching her breath shoot out in the air before her. Something  _ strange  _ was bubbling in her, it was like she could feel pressure building in her and it was like something was about to explode. “It isn’t worth it.”  _

_ “Yes, it is.” He sat against the wall beside her, covering both of them with the ragged blanket and making sure she was as warm as possible. When they first volunteered for this, she was almost  _ positive  _ it was a good idea. She was sure. Wanda now realized she didn’t even know what she had brought them into. “Hey… Why do melons have weddings?”  _

_ Wanda sighed, hiding her head in her hands and shaking her head. “Pietro… we need to get out of here. They are going to kill us.” She tried not to cry, it simply made her feel colder. Her hair felt tugged and her skin felt dirty. Pietro had a smudge of dirt on his nose and she pulled her sleeve to her fingers, wiping it away. He brushed her away, but kept his arm around her shoulder, warming her slightly. “This isn’t worth it.”  _

_ “Stark needs to pay-”  _

_ “Dammit, Pietro, I’m not losing you, too.” Wanda hissed, looking into his eyes and furrowing her eyebrows. “I can’t. We need to get out of here.” His dark brunette hair covered his eyes and she brushed it away, looking into his eyes. Pietro had stubble growing on his chin and she smiled for a second, picturing her father in his figure.  _

_ He held her closer when he heard footsteps outside of the door, and she realized his growing fear of the men outside… Strucker. Wanda had learned to fear the name. “You look like Father.” Wanda murmured and she yawned into her sleeve, letting her head fall on Pietro’s shoulder. The grumble of footsteps outside the door grew and Pietro tightened his fists, boring his eyes into the metal door. “Pietro, listen to me… do not fight. If you fight, they’ll kill you. You turn your head the other way.”  _

_ “I am not-”  _

_ “ _ Pietro.  _ You look the other way.” Wanda looked into his luminous blue eyes, holding his cheek with her hand and pleading with him. “Do you understand me?” Her voice was severe and he looked down at her, shutting his eyes for a moment. “ _ Do you understand me _?” Wanda asked him again, forcing him to look down at her and join her gaze.  _

_ Before Pietro could respond, the door suddenly slammed open and a shadow covered both of them. It was silent for a moment as Strucker bore his eyes into the twins with his hands bent behind his waist. “The female.” He spoke to two men behind him and they moved into the room with their guns trained on the teenagers, the children. Wanda’s breath hitched and she turned her head away, hiding it in Pietro’s shoulder and feeling him wrap his arms around her.  _

_ “Back away.” Her brother warned them, tightening his grip around his sister and holding her close to him.  _

_ “Don’t fret, we don’t come to harm, boy.” His tone was… it was comforting. Wanda fought the urge so much but something about his even tone  _ calmed her _ , and that disgusted her. She was disgusted with herself that she didn’t hate him. “The girl.” He repeated and soon the two soldiers cocked their guns at the two young teens. One’s barrel aimed at Wanda, one aimed at Vision. Both of them had their fingers on their triggers and the men were ready to shoot them like dogs.  _

_ Wanda took Pietro’s hand, surfacing her head from his shoulder and looking down the barrel of the gun. Something felt new in her, something dangerous and something  _ terrifying.  _ “I am warning you…” Pietro spoke, pushing Wanda behind him and forming his hands into fists. He stood and Wanda tried to grab him but he shook her off. “Step  _ back _.” He growled but before he could even throw a punch, one of the men knocked him to the floor with the barrel of their gun and Wanda gasped, catching him.  _

_ “Stop! You animals!” Wanda cried, saving her brother from a nasty blow to the head. He shut his eyes for a second before slowly regaining himself, but Wanda’s grip prevented him from standing once again. ‘ _ Stay down.’  _ That was what she said in her burning eyes and Wanda held his hand, keeping him from charging the men. “Just  _ stop. _ ”  _

_ Finally, one of the men grabbed Wanda by her arm, dragging her away from Pietro and causing her to yelp. “Don’t touch her!” Pietro roared, trying to grab for Wanda’s hand but she was being dragged out of the room by the soldier’s rough yanks. “No!” He bayed with the look of pure hatred on his face. One of the men had his guns trained on Pietro, while the other finally tore Wanda out of the room.  _

_ He could hear her screams for him, he could hear her fighting against that man through the hallway. “I will kill you.” Pietro swore, looking into Strucker’s eyes through his monocle. He took the glass from his eye and cleaned it with his overcoat. There was a small spot of blood on his shoulder and he smudged it away with his finger. “You lay a finger on her-” _

_ “Yes, very charming.” Strucker interrupted, turning around, though the armed guard remained. A vein was shown protruding from Pietro’s forehead and he tightened his fists, trying to move forward to run towards Wanda. “Don’t worry yourself, we’ll be back for you soon.” Pietro swallowed, pacing back and forth in the room and shutting his eyes. He slammed his fist against the concrete wall, but soon recoiled from the short burst of pain it caused him.  _

_ There were straps on her wrists and ankles, she felt like a prisoner. They were cold and metallic and they had begun to strap her to a seat of sorts. “What are you doing?” Wanda asked the near half-dozen scientists that were bustling ahead of her. In her time of being in the prison they deemed a laboratory, it always seemed so cold and poor, but the technology they were using looked much more advanced than anything in Sokovia. The machines beeped and suddenly, one of them pricked her with an I.V cable and she yelped, looking down to her arm. “What are you doing?” Wanda repeated, feeling her throat close around her as the scientists brought foreign tools towards her.  _

_ “Hey!” Wanda barked in their face but she received no response. Suddenly, she felt odd. Wanda felt sleepy and she looked down to the I.V they had planted in her arm and she realized a dark blue liquid was pushing through the tube into her arm and she fought against her restraints to pull the needle from her arm. “What did you…?” Wanda slowly felt her eyelashes flutter shut for a moment and she batted her eyelids, fighting the sudden pausing in her limbs. “What did…?” Finally, Wanda’s head fell to her side and she shut her eyes, unconscious.  _ What did you do? 

_ \------------------------------------------------------------------------ _

What did you do?  _ Her fingertips shook and her eyelashes fluttered rapidly. Her wrists and ankles were free and she jumped up but there was ache and pain in her. There was a constant beeping in the room and when she weakly turned her head to the side, Wanda realized it was the counting of her heartbeat echoing over and over on a small monitor.  _ Beep, beep, beep… 

_ Finally, she came to and recalled the sedation those men had pumped into her veins and Wanda jumped up, ripping the I.V’s needle out of her arm, cutting off the flow of depressants into her bloodstream. “Pietro?” Wanda croaked, her voice barely a whisper due to the dryness of her throat. It was dark, the entire lab was extinguished with black and she couldn’t see anything.  _

_ From the doorway, there was an amber light illuminating the corridors and Wanda furrowed her eyebrows, slowly peeling her body from the hard, metal seat. A headache pounded in her head and she hissed through her clenched teeth, caressing her forehead.  _ What did they do _? Wanda wondered, looking down and realizing that there were small bandages on parts of her forearms and legs that she hadn’t left. Wanda was in some sort of beige fabric jumpsuit and she was bare-foot.  _

_ The floor was freezing against her toes and Wanda curled her feet, feeling her body tense. She limped at first, mostly due to her exhaustion and tire that echoed in her brain. It was like her nerve endings were on fire and Wanda’s breath hitched. She planted her finger in her hair, trailing them down each silky string of hair. Her soft locks of dark brown hair fell besides her cheeks and she quietly tiptoed towards the doorway, bending down and peeking her head around the corner.  _

_ The hallways were joyed with golden and amber light and she squinted her eyes, looking behind her. The corridors were dead and silent, which contradicted the bustling life it had been teeming with hours ago. How long had it been since she’d fallen unconscious? Was it hours? Or days? How long had Pietro been without her?  _ Where is he?  _ Wanda asked, arguing with herself whether to follow the light or to look for her brother. She worried for him, she was terrified and finally, she decided to head towards the amber glow.  _

_ There was no one around, the corridors were absolutely dead and uninhabited, and it felt like she was being watched. It was too quiet, usually during the night, the labs were alive with screams of the subjects that wouldn’t survive Strucker’s experiments. Blood curdling screams would filter through the air and ring in the twins’ heads long after the perpetrators were gone and buried. “Pietro?” Wanda whispered, looking behind her and simply seeing the chair she had awoken in and darkness.  _

_ Through her ears, she could hear an odd… well, it sounded like  _ ringing.  _ Like the low hum of a growl and she felt goosebumps crawl along her skin. Wanda’s hair was almost running like she was surrounded by static and suddenly, it flew up behind her and she gasped softly, pulling her ginger, stringy hair beside the left side of her chin and holding the long locks in her fingers.  _

_ She approached a door and an almost blinding volume of light was pouring from the gap underneath the thick, metal doors. In the shine of the light she could see her own reflection and Wanda placed her hand on the metal. It was  _ warm.  _ It was warm and it almost burned the tips of her fingers when she pressed her hand against it.  _ What is this?  _ Wanda asked whatever was watching her and before she could think of anything else, she knocked.  _

_ Oddly, the door was pressed open at her grip and she looked up. A blinding river of light poured from the center of the room and she shielded her eyes with her hands at first, dotting her eyelashes open and shut quickly. “What…” Wanda’s breath hitched and when she looked towards the source of the illumination, there appeared to be… she wasn’t sure what it was.  _

_ It looked like a gem of sorts, a stone. The stone was glowing, shimmering, with extreme ferocity and it shook through the building. Wanda slowly stepped closer and it was like she could feel the stone’s heartbeat in her own veins. Something about the stone was flowing through her, connecting her to it. Another step… and then, she took another. Wanda felt something pulling her to the stone and she felt her hand raise towards it, almost against her own will.  _

_The warmth of it was welcoming compared to the stark cold that was present in the rest of Sokovia._ What is this? _She asked, looking towards her own hand slowly raising towards the stone and she tried to pull it away but it was like it was too late for her to cease her movement. When she was less than a foot away from the stone, it slowly accelerated its high position in the air and rose above her. The light around Wanda seemed to dance and she looked around her, noticing the light growing closer to her, swarming her body. She swallowed, but still, something was still drawing her towards the gem. And suddenly, just as she was an inch from the stone, someone called her name. “Wanda!”_ _  
__Just as her fingertips pressed against the gem, she saw her brother sprinting towards her, trying to wave away the light as it began to swarm and swim around her. “Pietro-” And then, there was the colossal sound of an explosion right beside her and she felt her body flying through the air._

_ The light that was swarming around her had burst with the stone’s presence itself and both of the twins were struck by the rays. Their bodies were sent flying past the doorway in the chaotic assault and Wanda screamed, trying to tuck her head into her chest. Wanda’s body hit the floor in a hard  _ strike  _ and she heard Pietro’s body slink to the floor beside her.  _

_ It was like her nerves were being struck with a mallet in the same place, over, and over, and over again. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she moaned in pain, hugging the floor. Finally, her eyelashes batted open and they fluttered in a seizure like matter for a moment before deciding to remain open. Pietro’s back was arched on the floor beside her and he almost looked like a corpse with his still face looking up towards the dim ceiling.  _

_ “Pietro.” Wanda’s face was rough like sandpaper and she coughed. When she looked down to her own skin, it was like her fair shade was reflecting with a scarlet shade. Waves and heartbeats of red were painting themselves on her skin and she gasped, trying to scratch it away but suddenly, red energy shot itself from her palm, nearly sending her back through the air but she grabbed Pietro’s body and steadied herself. “Pietro.” She whined, her voice slightly more panicked.  _

_ Desperately, she shook him awake and he mumbled something under his breath in Sokovian and she desperately begged him to awaken. “Pietro, please.” She croaked, hearing the shuffle of footsteps down the corridor and finding herself fearful of Strucker and those armed men… she didn’t want to be alone. Wanda was scared. “Brother… get up.”  _

_ All of a sudden, as he began to raise, the entire image of his body flickered and in a moment, he was completely across the room with his back suddenly being sent against the wall. “Pietro!” She gasped, looking down at her own reddening hands and then back towards the room where the gem had been. It had gone dull and the power of the stone seemed to have momentarily released itself into Pietro and herself. “Hey, what’s wrong?”  _

_ His image was flickering wildly like he was dashing in millions of different places in a second. “What…?” He started to ask and she kneeled beside him, holding his cheek with her palm gently and forcing him to look into her eyes. “Your eyes…” His eyelids opened and with a look of pure horror, he stared into her blood red irises, looking at his sister’s body.  _

_ Her skin was wrapped with the faint silhouette of red and her irises were as scarlet as the shade of lipstick their mother had once worn. “My eyes?” Wanda asked, taking the shattered glass of the watch Pietro wore, it was their father’s, and aiming it towards her face, seeing her shattered reflection in the glass, Wanda sharply intaked air and she shut her eyes, scrubbing them with her fingers and trying to return the cold shade of mossy blue she’d come to know as her eye-color. “My eyes.”  _

_ The footsteps behind them grew and Wanda whipped around, raising her hands into fists and standing in front of Pietro as he caught his breath in his exhausted state. “Stay away!” Wanda screamed, looking Strucker in the eyes and forcing herself to look into his cold, icy glare. Wanda didn’t want to fear him, she didn’t want him to think for even a second that he was winning… that she was afraid. But, Wanda couldn’t control her fear, and she couldn’t control him. The terror, the desperate fear, running through her veins when she looked at Strucker surged and she curled her hands into fists.  _

_ Oddly, when she shut her fist, scarlet lace rose in the air and Wanda looked down, her face full of terror. Wanda heard Pietro’s breath hitch behind her and she tried to shake away the effect like she was seeing something. When it didn’t work, Wanda desperately tried to wipe away the scarlet shadows on her outfit but it simply seemed to catch fire on her other hand like a spark. “Oh… yes.” Strucker whispered, smiling wildly and stepping before the twins, looking down at Wanda’s scarlet silhouette, and then Pietro’s flickering figure. “ _ Yes. _ ” He bellowed, ending the singular word with an uproarious laughter. “Yes!”  _

It was quiet. She didn’t really remember what she had said and what she hadn’t, she just could tell by the horrified expression on Vision’s face that she had said enough. Wanda itched her hair behind her ear and looked back down to the shirt on her lap, taking the needle between her fingers once again. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have… burdened you with this.” Wanda whispered, cringing at the sudden remembrance of her brother and looking away from Vision. 

“Wanda… listen.” At first, she didn’t look at him and he cleared his throat, taking Wanda’s slightly trembling hands from his own ripped shirt. “Listen to me.” He requested softly and Wanda turned her head, looking into his eyes and he took in the sight of tears spilling over the plateaus of her cheeks. He gently raised his sleeve to his wrist and wiped away her tears. Wanda smiled and she held his hand to her cheek, leaning into it. “I do believe you are the strongest human being I’ve ever met.” Wanda smiled softly and she blushed slightly, looking down. “I hope you consider that a compliment, as in hindsight, I realized humans can be quite…” She shushed him softly and he obliged, swallowing.   
He looked down towards her smooth lips and she did the same for him. Wanda’s hand reached over his shoulder, wrapping around the back of his neck and nestling their faces closer. “Wanda…”

“Vision…” Wanda softly whispered, looking into his eyes and it was like a thousand words could be exchanged just in a second of their eyesight. Before either of them could move, there was a sudden banging on the door and Wanda jumped, gasping softly and looking towards the moss-green, splintered wooden door. “Jesus.” She murmured under her breath, shifting away from Vision and effectively, the intimate moment had been ended by the interruption. 

Vision stuttered for a moment, watching her look back down shyly and continue her work on sewing the short remainder of the rip in the navy sweater. Finally, he stood, slowly tracing his steps to the door and shifting the chain lock of the door open. “Yes?” He called, slipping the door open and Wanda looked up for a moment, having finished repairing the shirt rather quickly. 

The conversation was muffled, and she could hear the low tone of Steve. Vision’s body stood straight and his head nodded as he whispered something to Steve. Wanda squinted her eyes, but before she could try to listen, the dialogue was over and Vision gently shut the door. He didn’t lock it again, though. “What is it?” Wanda asked, shifting her hair to one shoulder and looking up at him. 

Vision sighed, taking his small suitcase from the foot of the bed and beginning to carefully fold items and place them in with grace. “Captain Rogers orders that we move again.” Wanda nodded, standing slowly and flatting out Vision’s sweater that she had fixed. 

“Figures… don’t forget to pack this.” Wanda folded the shirt she had sewn and he smiled sweetly at her, taking the cloth sweater from him. Their hands brushed for a moment and Wanda blushed, quickly departing and turning around. “I should go pack.” Wanda murmured, stepping back towards the window and sliding the glass up. 

Wanda lifted her leg over the window sill, placing her foot on the metal fire escape that connected their two rooms. “Wait… thank you… for the…” Vision stumbled on his words and Wanda smiled, dipping her head in acknowledgment and curling her lips upwards. He watched as she slinked away into the darkness, back towards her own room. “... sweater.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! thanks so much for reading! i was kind of proud of this chapter, so i was super excited to get it out! thanks for all support, holy shit, it's insane, it really means so much <3 there should be an update tomorrow, have an amazing week :3


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda nor Vision have ever felt this before. It was unprecedented.

_ “On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again. The life I love is making music with my friends, and I can't wait to get on the road again. On the road again, goin' places that I've never been… seein' things that I may never see again, and I can't wait to get on the road again.”  _ The car was silent, as now, they were down to four. Barton ran back to his family… he was the only one who had that option. 

_ ‘Here. Burner phone. If you need me, call me.’  _ Wanda felt in her pocket for the flip phone and brushed her finger against the copper metal, sighing sadly. Wanda shut her eyes, leaning against the window and curling her knees into her arms on the seat. Vision sat besides her as she shut her eyes and her eyelashes tickled the tips of her cheeks. The android watched her for a moment before the annoying tone of the song ringed through the metal cage. 

Suddenly, it switched off after a tiny scarlet drop brushed the volume knob, muting the rhythm. The three men looked back to Wanda’s sleeping figure for a moment and a comfortable silence then fell in the car as normalcy returned. “Where are we?” Sam spoke, looking out towards the vast darkness around them, the sun had barely begun to rise and the stars still patterned the skies. 

Wanda tried to remember what state they were in.  _ Missouri? Iowa?  _ She couldn’t remember, but the young woman watched the hints of snow brush past the windows while Steve pressed his foot against the accelerator. “The middle of nowhere.” Steve responded, looking into Sam’s eyes and then steadying his gaze on the dark road. Small fluorescent pointers at each side of the street paved the way of the car, but still, Steve drove like the old man he was in the dark, snowy dawn. 

As the minutes, as the hours, went by, pink portraits were hung in the clouds and despite her efforts, Wanda never actually went to sleep, she just sat there and played dead. Finally, her eyelashes fluttered and she opened her eyes, looking out towards the snowy forests they were driving through. When Wanda looked to her left, she noticed Vision had been looking in her direction and quickly, both of them broke the gaze with a blush on each of their cheeks. “Hey, Steve, ‘are we there yet?’” Wanda tried to joke and Steve snorted under his breath, looking back to her. 

They were all  _ tired,  _ even Vision, who technically didn’t require a night of sleep. Wanda’s eyelids felt dusted with a new heaviness she had never felt and Wanda released a quiet yawn. The seat Vision and her shared was large enough that she could stretch her legs out for a moment while being able to make sure he was still comfortable. She realized a blanket had been laid on her prior to her miniscule nap and Wanda looked up at Vision, curling her lips to the left side of her face and smiling. 

He returned the gesture, but eventually, shied away in a fumbling fashion and her silent smile grew slightly. “We need to keep moving. The entire world knows who the Avengers are.” Steve answered and Wanda raised her eyebrow, looking to the captain. A beard had grown on his jawline due to the long ‘road-trip’ -it had been almost a month and a half now- and the lack of regular privileges. They were running out of money, and they were running out of time. As the weeks went by, the discussion revolving around their disappearance grew and grew, especially for Wanda, and mostly for Steve. 

Sam sighed, looking to the captain and squinting at him, but there was no response, only the sound of the tires against the rough road. Wanda missed her friends. She missed Natasha, hell, she even missed Stark occasionally. Wanda missed Barton as well, and she was yet to employ the phone he had gifted her at his departure. 

“We’ll find somewhere safe soon.” He simplified, and the conversation died on his lips. The thumble of the vehicle against the road and there was a small bump, rustling the car. Wanda held the blanket Vision had gifted her around her shoulders, hiding herself from the cold atmosphere outside the throw blanket. 

Hours went by. They just sat there in silence and they took shifts. Sam and Steve had both taken their turns and day passed into night. Wanda and VIsion sat in the front with the young girl behind the wheel. She had learned how to drive shortly after her parent’s deaths, right before they were taken to those labs. It proved useful for getting around and being able to steal. Pietro used to be too scared to drive, so it was left to her. Soft music played through the speakers at a low volume and Wanda left one of her hands from the wheel to take a quick sip of coffee that laid in a cup holder beside her. 

She smiled as Vision and her talked in the late hours and the dim light of the dashboard illuminated their faces. “I think next time we settle down… I should teach you how to make Paprika.” Wanda smiled sheepishly and laughed softly when he faked a hurt impression, trying to make her smile again. He enjoyed watching her smile. 

“Yes, super-human strength, check. The power of an Infinity stone? Absolutely. Ability to cook…? Perhaps not.” She smiled, nodding her head and they both released hushed laughter, careful not to wake Steve or Sam in the rear of the car. So now, they were allowed this small moment… this little moment in between the tire and exhaustion they had to live through each day to just be  _ human.  _ Not Avengers, not killers, not an android or a witch… just human. 

“Well… practice makes perfect. I’m sure I nearly burnt down all of Sokovia my first time cooking.” Wanda joked in a whisper and when she thought back to Sokovia, part of it hurt. Wanda didn’t just lose her parents, she didn’t just lose her brother, every single human in that floating prison was now extinguished. Those who hadn’t made it to the rafts would have died because of her, her own people. 

When she first volunteered for Strucker’s experiments, Pietro and her had been thinking they would be heroes. They would be the next  _ Captain America.  _ The twins thought of it like a dream come true. Of course, then the explosion happened, and they were infused with the burden of their powers. With the great stick they held, Wanda and Pietro both had to be careful… they were teenagers, they were sixteen, barely. How were they meant to know what they had gotten themselves into? “Do you ever feel strange, Wanda?” 

“Strange?” She asked, looking into his eyes for a moment before returning her gaze towards the road. Something… odd was building in Vision. As he grew more and more human with each day, it was like he could feel his vulnerability growing exponentially. “Strange how?” He quieted for a second and then looked at her face as she drove through the dark knight. 

It was a starry night and she looked up through the windshield, smiling at the dusted skies. Pietro always swore he would live on the moon when they were children. Wanda and him would ‘rule the moon.’ She’d always laugh at him. Wanda realized she couldn’t remember if she had told him that she loved him the day he died. A small rush of guilt ran up her spine and a small exhale pushed through her lips. “I am not sure… perhaps, like… you don’t belong?” 

Wanda turned her head away from the road for a moment and looked into his eyes, seeing that he was talking from experience. “Yes… ever since Pietro…” Her sentence trailed off and she remembered all of the times she had been guilted for attempting to do the right thing. Lagos, Germany… Sokovia. 

_ Wanda clung to the Captain America cartoon in her hands and she shook the paper, smiling. Her legs pushed her forward and Wanda found his dark brunette hair, holding the paper up. ‘This! This is how we stop Stark!’ Wanda laughed softly, tossing the paper at him and watching Pietro take the comic. He flipped through it, squinting his eyebrows and moving his irises up to her. ‘I don’t follow.’ She yanked it back and flipped through the pages, showing a drawing of the captain in a metal cage with wires pumping mass into his muscles.  _

_ Then, her hands pried a flier from her satchel and she pressed her hand against Pietro’s chest, pinning the paper to him. He took it, reading the Sokovian script that littered the poster.  _ I want you! Volunteer now!  _ ‘No.’ Pietro shook his head, crumpling the paper and tossing it over his shoulder. He hung the strap of his bag over his shoulder and looked around at the snowy terrain.  _

_ Life was teeming in the square and wails of children echoed around. ‘No? What do you mean no, this is our-’ _

_ ‘I mean no. I’m not, you’re not, becoming a soldier. That’s suicide, and I am not putting you in danger.’  _ Wanda pulled herself out of the memory and cleared her throat, loosening her hands against the leather steering wheel. “I could quite literally level the entire planet. My hands  _ shake  _ with energy, that of an Infinity stone. I am dangerous… perhaps it was not wise for Mister Stark to raise me.” 

Wanda turned her head towards him, giving him a small smile and taking one of her hands from the steering wheel. Small drops of scarlet doused from it and she curled her hand into a fist, sealing the air with a tiny pulse of crimson before it dusted away in the air. “Did you know, I didn’t think anything was wrong. When they first started torturing us in those labs, I thought… ‘this is how I save the world.’” Wanda laughed at her own stupidity and naiveness, shaking her head. Vision was silent for a moment, watching her ironic smile. “No. We’re both monsters, Vision…” For a moment, he looked as if he was going to argue, but then something in him led his instincts away. “But… Monsters stick together.” She looked into his eyes, keeping a steady gaze connected with him and not straying away until he nodded. 

A small curl of her lips rested on her face and he nodded his head. “Yes, I suppose I could agree to that.” Wanda laughed softly at his autonomous response and he smiled at the sound of her quiet laughter. It wasn’t often he heard her laugh. It was odd, the flutter he felt in his operating systems when the sound came to his ears. “Where did you learn to drive?” He asked when he felt the car accelerate slightly. 

Wanda cleared her throat, and the discomfort clearly referred to her brother’s name. “Makes a quick getaway… good for stealing.” A small smile creeped up Vision’s lips and she smirked, smacking his arm playfully. “I wasn’t robbing banks, Vis.” Wanda giggled, though when she removed her arm the car tipped for a moment and she gasped, quickly replacing it and regaining the car’s balance. 

“Perhaps, we shall keep the hands on the wheel?” He breathed, suddenly taking his hand and attaching the leather seatbelt across his chest. 

"Perhaps." Wanda did the same and nodded, maintaining a sturdy grip on the wheel with both hands. It was silent besides their small echoes of laughter through the night. Wanda became weary and her eyelashes fluttered for a moment. 

“Do you ever think about home?” Wanda asked, realizing the stupidity of the question, and almost shocking herself when she came to the realization that she called the compound ‘home.’ 

Vision nodded, sitting up and watching her face settle on the road ahead. “Of course… what home are you talking about, to be on the same page.” Wanda almost smiled and she looked to Vision for a moment, heaving a deep sigh. What  _ was  _ home? Pietro used to say that his home was her, and that hers was his.  _ ‘Home is not Sokovia, it is not  _ here.  _ It is us. We are home.’  _ Her silence answered his question and he looked towards the road, releasing an exhale. “Can you remember much else…?” 

Wanda smiled and nodded, her grin suddenly pouring from ear to ear. “We lived by the ocean, before the bombings. Pietro had this… old radio, it played American music. That’s how I learned English.” Her eyes continued on the fragmented streets, and every now and then, there would be a street lamp that made the pavement glow. “We built this raft. We didn’t know how to swim. I’d have to help our mother with the cooking, the sewing… we didn’t have much time. But… he always took me out there. Just… the ocean, and…” Wanda sighed, shutting her eyes for a moment but then opening them, remembering she was driving. “We went a day or two before the bombings. The air was thicker than usual. That’s the last thing I can remember, other than… everything else.”

_ ‘What are we doing here?’ Wanda whispered, shaking her head as Pietro dragged her along through the woods. Wanda’s small hand tore back but he glared at her with a small smile.  _ How could he smile at a time like this?  _ It was snowing. That she remembered. She remembered Pietro’s smile. ‘Pietro… we should not be out this far.’ Her high voice hissed and he rolled his eyes, looking down at his young sister. ‘Yes, ma’am.’ He scoffed, taking his fingers and wrapping them around her hand and giving her a look. ‘This will be good.’ Pietro promised, tugging her gently and moving her closer.  _

_ ‘ _ Rahat _ , Pietro… you have really outdone yourself.’ Wanda smiled, her natural language rolling off of her tongue as she looked out towards a vast, dull sea. Waves crashed yards away and Wanda tilted her head, looking to her brother. ‘I hope you do not have memory loss, Mother has taken us here dozens of times… really…? What are we doing here?’ Wanda whispered, looking to him with rosy cheeks and a cold exhale. Pietro simply walked ahead of her towards what she first thought was driftwood. It was a  _ boat.

_ ‘I am not getting on that… that  _ thing _.’ She gawked, but Pietro simply pushed it forward into the water and allowed the tips of his trousers to be doused. ‘Are you coming or not, your royal highness?’ He teased, raising his eyebrow and standing in the sea. White trout circled by his ankles and he kicked them away, spraying the salt water towards his sister. ‘Hey!’ Wanda gasped, crossing her arms and giving him a tired look of anger. ‘Only if you promise we return soon.’  _

_ Pietro crossed his finger across his heart, and shot her a look. ‘Now can we go?’ He demanded and she picked the bottom of her filthy skirt and saved it from the water. ‘Mother isn’t around, you can get your feet wet.’ They were only ten, though society and expectations had already begun to shift them. She wore a skirt and a shirt that had escaped from its tucked position. Wanda smiled and she nodded, letting the fabric fall into the sea and a genuine smile painted itself across her lips. ‘We can’t be out too long.’ She called but received no answers. He lept onto the raft and extended his hand. Wanda took it, climbing behind him and taking one of the paddles.  _

_ ‘Pietro, do you even know how to swim?’ ‘No, but… why would that matter?’ He smiled, looking back at his sister with his dark brown rays of hair intersecting his eyes. ‘You are so weird.’ She shook her head, but Wanda couldn’t deny the smile on her lips. Things were getting worse, mostly with the growth of appearance of what their parents called ‘special individuals.’ Every day, iron soldiers would sail through the skies. The sounds of their engines were like gunfire, and the twins’ mother had taught the pair to hide under the furniture when the demons came through the air. ‘I’m twenty minutes older than you, you aren’t allowed to make fun of me.’ _

_ Wanda snorted and both of them dipped their oars in the water as one, propelling the makeshift raft together as one. ‘Who told you that rule?’ ‘I did.’ He quickly responded and a small splash of water sprayed in her hair from his oar. She considered hitting him over the head with her own oar for a moment, but then decided against it. ‘Sometimes, I really am embarrassed to be related to you.’ Wanda gibed and he rolled his eyes, splashing her once again.  _

_ ‘I hate you.’ Wanda sighed, but she smiled and her young arms tightened around Pietro, hugging him. ‘I hate you, too.’ He replied, looking out towards the sea and splashing her one final time.  _

Wanda rolled her ring over and over on her finger. There was most likely a spot of Pietro’s blood on it somewhere, she had been wearing it when she found his body. Maybe on a molecular level, certainly one she couldn’t see, but he was there somewhere. That thought matched the scarlet-ret ruby that was embedded in the metal. She cleared her throat, looking back to him for a moment and realizing she hadn’t wept a tear over the memories of Pietro. That was odd. Ever since losing him… well, it was unprecedented. 

“I’ve never told anyone about that.” She realized, looking towards the road that the headlights illuminated. “Did you know… I can hear him? I’m not sure if I’m going crazy, or I actually have him in my head.” She shrugged and she saw the expression in his eyes. It was confusion and understanding at the same time. “When I arrived at the compound, I was alone. You changed that… thank you.” 

“When you arrived at the compound, I was a weapon built for Mister Stark’s ego. I believe I have evolved beyond that now… and I believe that whatever is conspiring here may be related to that.”

“And… What  _ is  _ conspiring here?” Wanda asked, shying her vision away but keeping herself in his grip. Her heart seemed to pound from her chest suddenly and Wanda almost smiled at the silly worry, she felt like some school-girl. 

“I am… unsure.” Vision shrugged, scrunching his fake eyebrows together and looking into her eyes. “That is unprecedented.” He murmured, forcing his hand to phase in and out of the plane of existence, but slowly it returned. Wanda smiled and she let out a shaky exhale, looking back to Sam and Steve. “I enjoy your company, Wanda.” He replied, looking at her as she played with scarlet lace protruding from her fingertips. 

She had never felt this. Wanda looked down at the gas pedal, and there were small dots of her own energy spurting from her fingers. “Vis, everyone I have ever cared for has died… I am seduced by death.” She didn’t shed a tear, it was a plain fact, and she just stated it as it was. She met his eyes and tilted her head, holding the expression. “Are you sure you want me near you?” She shrugged, looking away and clearing her throat when she felt the walls of flesh close around her throat. Wanda silenced, slipping into silencess. 

Vision watched her, swallowing and feeling pity run through her. Someone called in her head and she sighed, shaking her head.  _ Not now, Pietro, please. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks everyone so much for reading! i hope you guys are enjoying it so far, this is so fun to write! i'm just sitting here in my wandavision hoodie writing lol, probably have had too much caffiene. next chapter likely comes out tomorrow, so stay tuned! also holy shit wtf, almost 2000 reads, that is insane, thank you so much! i hope you've had an amazing week, see you in a bit ! <3


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They had a connection, something in between them. Neither of them knew what it was, or how to put it into words.

_ “Is this what you want from me?” Wanda screamed into the blizzard, looking at the blood painting her hands and looking up. There were bodies piling around her and she blinked away the rapid snowflakes slowly suffocating her body. “You want me to be a monster?” She demanded, raising her arms and surrounding the snow with scarlet filth, shaking it away and slamming the powder down into the floor.  _

_ Wanda was in that church again, she was in that exact second where she had felt it. Twins were supposed to be bound together, from birth until death. She didn’t join him in death, and it should have been her. “You aren’t a monster.” It was her brother’s voice and she spun around, her hair whipping with the ferocity of the wind, even though the blizzard had calmed to a dead breeze. _

_ The wind had died at once and Wanda turned around. It was her brother, but it wasn’t her brother. It was silent, the wind died and the sounds of mechanical slaves whirling around the church had ceased. “Pietro…” Wanda shook her head, stepping back in fear and clasping her hand over her mouth at the horrendous sight. Maggots crawled from his eyes and nostrils, and she could see his teeth through the gaping holes in his skin.  _

_ Wanda turned around, shutting her eyes and wiggling her fingers. When she tried to emit any sort of energy from her fingertips, Wanda could feel something blocking her and she breathed heavily, trying once again. “Wake up. Wake up, wake up.” Wanda whispered to herself in the deafening silence, and she could feel Pietro’s undead presence behind her. There was the  _ squelch  _ of a maggot dropping to the concrete and Wanda looked back, gasping softly.  _

_ It was… “Vision?” She asked him in a haled voice, her eyes stinging and her fingertips feeling as if they had been burnt to ash suddenly. “Vision.” Wanda sprinted towards him, hiding in his arms like a weakling and pushing her face into his neck, weeping softly. The storm had returned to nothingness and the concrete under their feet froze into a beautiful layer of clear ice.  _

_ When she looked down to her feet, there were faces staring back at her and one of her tears slipped down her cheeks. As the droplet struck the ice there was a deafening  _ crack  _ of the ice and she suddenly fell through Vision and he was brought to the state of dust. “Vision?” She whispered, looking back and seeing a gray state of his body behind her. Wanda extended her hand, but before she could speak a word, the luminous shock of a blade dove through his chest. He roared in pain, all the while maintaining eye contact with her. Violet blood spurted from his body, dotting her face in it. _

_ She stopped for a second, and she was silent. Wanda couldn’t emit a scream, or any fear, it was just pain. That was all she could feel as she looked at the man she’d regrettably fallen in love with die before her. “ _ Vision _.” She breathed and he dropped to the ground, his body still. Wanda shook her head, catching him with her scarlet grace and bringing him into her arms. “Vision.”  _

_ His dead eyes grappled her sight and his transparent irises were suddenly shifting. They became her father’s, and her mother’s… Pietro’s. Finally they returned to his teal eyes and the blue spirals that danced inside. “You let this happen. You could have stopped this.” The voices were all…  _ theirs.  _ They were the voices of everyone she had lost, everyone she had killed. They chanted those words and she looked around, seeing explosions littering the sky and bodies flying through the air, surrounding the church. They spun at the speed of light and she looked up, her mouth agape.  _

_ Wanda turned back down to Vision’s dead body, caressing his cheek with her hand gently. Suddenly it all stopped and she hurled his torso up, holding him in her arms and forcing his grip to surround her. She was so scared, she was terrified… she’d only known him for a year. Maybe less… and she was terrified of losing him. "Vision.” She softly whispered, sniffling and hiding her face in the crook of his neck.  _

_ His body was flickering due to the wound and occasionally her hands would simply just disappear into his body. It was quiet, she didn’t care. Everything was gone, they were simply sitting there. There was water beneath her and she realized that there was a fiery sunset in the distance and the horizon of a flat plane of water. Wanda shook her head, simply just settling her head on Vision’s shoulder and hugging her tightly. “Wanda.”  _

_ His arms were no longer limp and she looked back for a second, but simply wrote it off as the nightmare. But… something was different. She could read his mind… almost like he was right there. Wanda was silent and she simply used the nightmare to just sit there, not taking for granted the life in his body. Wanda felt someone gently combing her hair, he was unsure of how to respond. He simply brushed his fingers through her hair, straightening his own, fake blood from it and looking down to her body.  _

_ Wanda was concealed by his own muscles and slowly, her crying was reduced to sniffles. “Wanda?” He asked softly, looking around them and realizing that the church had returned. They sat in the center and Ultron’s bodies laid around them, joined with her own brother. There was a red tint to the sky and Vision looked down again, embracing her and hugging her back.  _

_ And then, suddenly… it was… dark? Wanda looked up and the snow was gone. She felt the leather seats of a car, and the scent of a town teeming with life. A single dim light hung in the vehicle and Wanda slowly looked up from his shoulder, squinting her eyes.  _ “Wanda?” He asked one more time, still holding her until she responded. 

Her damp cheeks folded when she furrowed her eyebrows and Wanda looked up, seeing the dying lights of a moldy hotel sitting ahead of them. The synthetic blood that had been painting her body disappeared and her breath hitched. “What…?” She whispered softly, raising her head and feeling the edges of her hair muffled by Vision’s arms. A dawn of realization came to her and she widened her eyes, releasing a shaky exhale from her lungs. “Were… were you…?” 

Wanda pulled herself back from his arms and looked into his eyes, her expression full of confusion. Her eyelashes were prolonged with the death of her tears and Wanda’s eyes were still traced with a dim shade of red that lit the car slightly. “I heard you… I heard your screams, I… I was there.” He sounded confused and any explanation died on the tip of his tongue. “We… we were connected.” Vision breathed, his eyes squinted in incertitude and uncertainty. 

She realized their hands were connected and Wanda gently took them away, wishing the red traces on her fingertips out of existence. His head was ringing and he brushed the stone embedded in his forehead, releasing a breath. The gem released a high pitch and he moved his finger away as it began to feel like the skin was burning. “The stone, it… must have allowed me to intercept.” Vision shared in a soft voice and he looked up into her eyes. 

Wanda realized they were tangled in each other’s limbs and she took a shallow inhale, closing her eyes for a moment. “I’m… sorry.” She murmured, and sliding against the leather seats, though his arms denied her attempt at escape and she looked up. 

“Is… that what you believe about yourself?” Vision asked gently, and she could hear the confusion in his voice. Wanda didn’t respond and she shut her eyes, sighing in an exhausted fashion and hanging her head. Her forehead dashed against Vision’s shoulder in the straddled position and she found she was too distraught to care or shy away as she usually would. “Wanda…” He sighed, slowly raising his arms in the air and steadily, slowly, embracing her. He allowed her time to rip herself out of his grip but he just felt a slow inhale at his touch. Vision hugged her and his hands clasped over her hair, and he filtered the tips just as he had in her dream. 

Vision had… entered her dream. He had pried her away from that realm of death and horror and replaced that position with his own embrace. “You are no monster. You are many things.” He whispered in the vehicle, and it was soundless apart from his kind, careful words. “You are powerful, and smart. And… you are beautiful, and you are an Avenger.” The rhythmic tone he spoke in was gone and it was replaced with a new, free will he had been developing with every second he knew her. “You make me human, Wanda Maximoff.” He murmured in her ear and she slowly pulled her head up, looking in his eyes. 

The dead expression she had been wearing since Pietro’s service suddenly vanished and her tears dried. Wanda didn’t speak, she pushed back. Their lips connected and she gently kissed him, her tears mixing onto the tips of his cheeks when their faces met. Wanda felt a leap in her heartbeat and she felt him squeeze the hands he held in his own fingers. It was like everything else fell away. The civil war that had ensued, Steve, Stark… everyone else fell away. 

Wanda felt an anxiety rise in her but when he felt his warm skin hold her hands, it fell away and she was back in that moment with just him. It was soft, and their lips were dancing like they had been made for each other… it felt like this was what her life was for, everything she had to endure before this… it was all to get right here, to this moment… to this moment with him. 

Vision’s warm, synthetic breath fell against her damp cheeks and the trace of life brushed the dry tears away. His lips were warm and soft and they tickled her, and eventually, her lips fell away in a small smile. Their foreheads met and he could feel the warmth of her skin. “You make me human, too.” She murmured softly, keeping her eyelids shut. Wanda’s eyelashes tickled the base of his forehead and he opened his eyes, inspecting every shade of her skin with a blushed admiration. “I’m scared I am going to have to watch you die.” She admitted, keeping her eyes shut but the witch could feel his eyes on her even without opening her eyelids. 

“I am not going to die.” He replied in a free voice, keeping his eyes on her and watching as her hazel irises became visible in the luminance of the light above. 

Their foreheads remained together and Wanda smiled for a moment before the curl of her lips fell away. “Do you promise?” Vision didn’t hesitate for a second, he simply nodded.  _ ‘I always keep a promise, Miss Maximoff.’  _ She remembered his words from the funeral and Wanda’s eyelashes danced for a second before she met his eyes again. 

The tightness that had been constricting her was released into the air and she slowly moved back, nodding. “I have a one hundred percent chance of survival under your care, Miss Maximoff.” He dipped his head with a small smile and a soft laughter was released from her lips. 

It was silent again for a moment before she nodded, staring into his  _ human  _ pupils and drawing out the gaze that had been connected between them. Something brought them here, something brought them together… and she loved that something. “I’ll take those odds.” He smiled and slowly, they pulled themselves into the other’s arms again, both of them wearing shy, ecstatic smiles on their faces with their cheeks colored shades of bright red and pink, those you would see in a store on Valentine’s day, or a palette of lipsticks. 

“Okay.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for reading guys! i finally had a kiss, i debated how quickly to do it but since canonically there are TWO years between the end of civil war and start of infinity war i thought i'd have a lot of time to world build. and also holy shit 2k reads, thank you so much! there'll be an update soon since i've prewritten most of this, some shit goes down next chapter haha :3 have an amazing day!


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda awakes... not how she expected to.

There was a muffled sound beside her and she furrowed her eyebrows together, sniffling. It smelled odd. It smelled like… copper. It smelled like blood. Wanda tried to stand, but she then realized she couldn’t move her arms. She couldn’t move her  _ limbs.  _ Wanda’s eyes shot open, but she only saw darkness and immediately, a level of cold panic rushed up her spine.  _ ‘Where are we?’ I don’t know.  _ She answered the ghost in her head, struggling against whatever binds were holding her. “Vis?” Wanda called, her voice ending in a high pitch. She was scared. “Vision?” She once again yelled his name, but there was nothing but silence. 

“Steve?” Wanda then asked, and she was met with the sound of handcuffs clinking in the distance. Soon enough, when she saw the pokes of light coming in just at the edge of her black sight, she realized it was a blindfold.  _ ‘Someone is in here with us.’  _ Wanda nodded, screwing her eyelids shut and focusing on the readings in the mind. The ghost in her mind was correct, somewhere in the room was someone.  _ Okay, let me in.  _ She requested, shutting her eyes and focusing on the signature. There were shots of gunfire and she could hear the roaring of wings. Wanda squinted her eyes, looking towards the area the sound had come from. “... Sam?” Wanda asked, extending her neck even though she couldn’t see. “Is that you?” 

“Wanda?” She felt a humongous wave of relief wash over her and it was like water rushed through her blood, flushing beads of sweat away from her forehead. “I can’t see anything.” Sam called back and she swallowed, focusing on the sounds around her. 

There was the grumble of tires against a street and she heard the cock of a gun somewhere far away. Wanda shook her head, slowly slipping the blindfold down… very slowly. After almost a moment, daylight fled through her sight and she saw Sam’s figure before her. Her hair was tied behind her head in a ponytail and the blindfold fell at her chin. They both had been kept in industrial, metal chairs. Hers was double the size and a metal collar held her to the contraption. “Oh no.” Wanda whispered, taking in the appliances around them. 

There were files and the small room both of them had been kept in was moving. Two rifles were hung at each side of the room and a singular window allowed light to flow into the room. “What, what is it?” He asked, moving his head upwards and causing chains around his neck to make a small  _ clink.  _

“Sh, sh, don’t move.” Wanda warned, looking down to her own restraints. They were solid instead of chainmail and she looked towards vials of some sort of serum on a platter besides her chair.  _ Oh… no.  _ Wanda could recall the odd ringing in her ears and the strange seize at the end of her fingertips. “They found us.” Wanda’s voice was hoarse and she tried to shake her hands, but found herself weaker.  _ ‘They sedated you again.’  _ Pietro sounded… upset in her head. 

Sam cursed under his breath, but he followed Wanda’s advice, and didn’t move a muscle. ‘ _ Don’t always go in head first. If you can keep quiet, that’s a privilege.’  _ She recalled her training with Steve, before she had even left the compound for Lagos. She hadn’t thought of Lagos in a few days, that made her feel guilty. Finally, she remembered her kiss with Vision and a thick blush spread over her cheeks.  _ Where is he?  _

_ It was the middle of the night, and the crickets were chirping. Part of him considered joining Captain Rogers and Sam in the hotel, but he didn’t wish to wake Wanda. After the horrendous nightmare she had experienced only a few hours ago, he decided she needed her sleep. The witch’s head laid on his shoulder and his arm was around hers, holding her close and making sure no nightmare would ever assault again.  _

_ He realized how pretty she looked under the moonlight’s luminance, and he smiled. It was silent… and then it wasn’t. There was a footstep in the distance, behind the car. Vision spun around, looking through the glass and swallowing. The artificial skin fell away, revealing his Infinity stone.  _ Someone else is here.  _ He thought, trying to decide which was the best path. His head swiveled to Wanda and he sighed, shutting his eyes but then opening the car door on his side. “I shall be back momentarily.” Vision promised, laying a blanket over her.  _

_ His sight lingered on her for a moment before suddenly, something struck the back of his head and he groaned, falling against the car for a moment. Before anything could hit him once more, he phased, and a gunshot passed through him, into the shell of the car. Vision’s eyes shot open and he shut the door, sealing Wanda inside and hoping to protect here. They were men, when he saw the badges on their waists, he sighed and raised his arms. It was the better decision, it would keep them safe… and he was no killer. “We do not need to fight.”  _

_ “You’re right, we don’t. Hands above your head, walk slowly towards me.” One of the men called and he looked back to the car, fighting his instincts and walking towards the man… that was when he heard the car door open and he spun around just in time to see one of the men inject Wanda with some sort of serum, most likely the same she had faced in the Raft.  _

_ Something in him changed. Something he had never felt before and his hands curled into fists as he watched those men drag her out of the car with no care or worry. “Do not touch her.” Vision warned, his voice a low sound and he stepped back towards the car, towards Wanda.  _

_ As he did so, there were the sounds of guns being cocked and he shut his eyes, heaving a deep sigh. “Let her go.” Vision spoke to the soldier when he didn’t oblige the first time. Still, he held Wanda roughly in his grip. Her head hung due to whatever they had given her, and Vision could hear her fighting against it. He heard the weakest whisper of his name under her breath. Finally, he stopped. He struck a nonvital organ of the man holding her, only shooting to injure, he was no killer.  _

_ “Wanda.” He flew to her in an instant, catching her before she could strike the ground and looking to her eyelids. Under the skin her eyeballs were moving wildly and he tightened his jaw, looking up to the men. “Listen to me-” That was when he felt electricity in his body and he jerked, dropping Wanda to the ground. Vision spun around, reaching his arm out to one of the men behind him, who had struck him with some sort of ‘stun-gun.’ “Listen…” Finally, he fell to the ground beside Wanda, his eyelids falling and his breathing slowing for a moment.  _ Get up.  _ He begged his body but finally, he lost control of his consciousness.  _

“Vision and Steve must be together, we need to get to them.” Wanda struggled against her restraints and they barely budged, but when she looked to the mess of wires controlling her chains, she smiled. Every thirty seconds, it seemed to blink. Most likely a manual restart to strengthen the system. “Alright, I can get myself out… don’t move.” 

“I’ll cancel my vacation.” Sam murmured under his breath though she ignored him. Wanda watched the wires intently, studying the pattern in duration in which they blinked and finally, so did she. Scarlet shot from hands, sending dense energy into the wires and causing sparks to fly across the board. A smile curled on her lips and she then budged against her restraints, and they jostled much easier. 

Wanda shut her eyes, with scarlet colors reflecting on her hands and on the corners of her eyes. She curled her hands into a fist and suddenly, the restraints around her crinkled like metal and she threw herself up, leaving the metal to ash. However, the sedative running through her was strong and she almost fell down at the sudden movement, but her arm caught her. Wanda slowly moved towards Sam and slipped his blindfold over his head, meeting his eyes and then placing her palms on the chains restraining his wrists. “Not bad.” He commented, looking at the residue that had once been her makeshift cell. 

“It’s sunlight, so I imagine we’ve been here for at least a day. Considering their technology, we’re probably halfway across the state right now. They’re most likely taking us to D.C.” Wanda thought aloud, shutting her eyes once again and doing the same task. The metal around Sam expanded and then fell off of him as if it were paper. 

He nodded in gratitude and she barely even acknowledged it before turning around and lifting herself up with her magic, looking through the window at a dense forest.  _ Most likely mid-eastern.  _ She thought by looking at the terrain and sighed, tensing her knuckles.  _ ‘The popsicle must not be free yet.’  _ Wanda smiled at the name Pietro’s ghost had given Vision and she almost laughed, but then remembered she would look crazy, talking to herself like that. “Yes.” Sam laughed, moving towards a cabinet and taking a dark red and black suit. “My stuff.” 

“I am going to go search the other cars. Meet me up front.” Wanda ordered, slamming the mechanical control of the doors and causing it to slide open, revealing a gap and then another train car. Sam nodded, waiting for her to exit and then slipping the shirt over his head, replacing it with his uniform.  _ ‘I’m back, baby.’  _ He smiled. 

Wanda held two dense balls of energy at each hand and her eyes were a dimly lit red, due to the sedative. “Vis?” She whispered, turning her head around each corner and moving through each train car, keeping her 

Instruments of death at each side of her hips. Wanda gratefully considered the fact that they had not imprisoned her in a straight jacket once again and she rolled her shoulders, feeling free in the imprisonment. “Vis?” Wanda called again, raising her hands and projecting her voice through the train. 

She heard footsteps behind her and Wanda spun around, seeing two rifles pointing towards her. There was a cock of guns and Wanda swallowed, keeping her hands by her side with two dense balls of energy. “I really do not want to fight.” Wanda whispered, furrowing her eyebrows and squeezing her fists into red shades. “I recommend that you turn around…” Wanda raised her arms and snaky red figures crawled into the men’s ears. 

Suddenly, they dropped their guns and turned around, groaning like they couldn’t control their own bodies. “... and leave me alone.” Wwanda whispered, pushing them through to the other train-car and slamming the metallic doors shut. Wanda suddenly felt tired and she sighed, slinking to the side and relying on the wall to stand. Slowly, it passed and she rubbed her temples with her eyes screwed shut. After a moment, she opened her eyes again and looked towards the door that led to the next car. 

The car rumbled and she pressed through the next door, her eyelids half open.  _ Sam may have found them.  _ Wanda hoped, looking ahead and she stopped. There was a large metallic chair facing the other way and she rushed towards it, feeling a rush in her. There was a tingling in her spine when Wanda saw it and she rushed to see who was in the chair. Vision’s body was phasing in and out of the chair in his unconscious state. Wanda’s hand held his cheek and she shook him slightly, bending in front of him. “Vis.” 

She pressed her fingers against each side of his head and small graces of red translated across his blinking skin.  _ Wake up.  _ Wanda ordered and suddenly, he jumped up, wincing almost as if he had been struck. “Hey, hey, hey.” She chanted, holding his jaw and directing his vision into her eyes. 

“Are you alright?” He asked quickly and she nodded, disregarding the sedative in her veins. Her powers were beginning to mute and Wanda’s irises were a thin, dull layer of red. He struggled against his restraints and she looked down, shutting her eyes and making sure that no one was coming. They were safe… for that moment. 

Wanda shrugged, tilting her head. “For the most part. Let’s get you out of here and meet up with Sam.” She murmured, pressing her hands against the thick metal holding his wrists. His neck was laced with a metal collar and her fingers picked at the lock, releasing him. Finally, she grabbed the chain links that were draped around his wrists over and over. They looked too tight. “Phase your body, I’ll burn you.” Vision obliged and just as he did so, the chains burst into scrap and he was freed. 

He shook the metal off and as he stood and Wanda took his hand after she heard the shuffle of footsteps on either side of the train-car. The metal rumbled and it almost felt like the train was coming off of its tracks for a second. They steadied themselves on each other and suddenly, the doors were slammed open and two canisters of gas had been rolled into the small room. Vision shot both of them, sending them back and coughing descended from the exits and entrances. There was a moment of silence and there was the cocking of guns. 

Wanda felt herself being pushed behind Vision and he blocked her with his arms in a protective matter. “There is no reason for warfare! Simply let us go, and we will do the same.” Vision announced, holding both of his hands to either end of the train-car and there was a small hum as he prepared the stone for a battle. The density of his skin grew and he used it to protect both Wanda and himself from the guns that were aimed at the pair. 

“You know we can’t do that.” One of them answered and Wanda looked towards the man and twisted her fingers. She was exhausted, but still, scarlet lace lifted through the air, snaking towards the men’s heads. 

“I am warning you, let us pass peacefully. Do the math, you have no chance.” Wanda croaked, squinting her eyes and shaking her head.  _ ‘Do they want to die?’  _ Pietro asked and honestly, she couldn’t answer the ghost’s question. They had to know that there was no chance of victory and she continued to push the scarlet magic towards them. 

The room glowed with a blood-red highlight and it reflected in her own eyes. The sunlight that had radiated through the window was gone and it was dark with only her abilities lighting the small compartment. But somehow… They were fighting against her. Perhaps her powers were weaker but the scarlet suddenly snapped back into her palms and her breath hitched. Wanda looked down at her hands and then back towards the men with a confused expression.  _ What…?  _ Was it the sedative, or was she just a weakling? “This is your last chance. Surrender now, or we will be forced to use lethal force!” 

Vision stayed ahead of Wanda, keeping her behind him and looking back to her for a moment. She shook her head, looking back down at her hands with confusion. Wanda tried to push any energy from her fingertips and for a moment, it didn’t budge. Her power ceased and then all of a sudden, like a lighting bolt, it jetted from her fingertips and struck one of the soldiers sending him back. “ _ Fire! _ ” 

In a second, Vision covered Wanda’s body with her arms and the density of his violet skin soared. His biceps covered her -for the most part- and with the sudden strength of his skin, his body grew glassy as if it were a diamond. Gunshots surrounded her hearing and she gasped, leaning into Vision and hiding her head in his chest, waiting for the shooting to cease. 

Her eyes were screwed shut and she thought for a moment she had been struck, but Wanda couldn’t focus due to the roaring of the weapons in her ears. “Vision!” She cried his name and she raised her hands, shooting the lightning-shaped energy out towards the men. Her throat was closing around her and as much as she hated it, Wanda felt scared. It was like her fingertips were dull due to whatever they had slipped her but she could feel the hurt she was causing. 

Vision held her and he tightened his arms around her in the final moment of the shooting, and suddenly it was quiet. It was like they were frozen in time and Vision’s skin slowly softened. There was a clatter of bullets that had almost penetrated the skin falling to the floor and it shook her slightly. “Are you okay?” Wanda asked, raising her head from his chest and looking into his eyes, searching for any pain. 

Wanda’s irises were still blood red and she looked back towards the men and her breath hitched. “They are breathing.” Vision turned away from her, walking towards the men and pressing his fingers against one of their necks. His flesh was hot to the touch, but there was a steady beat every other second. “Thank you for coming back for me.” He spoke, turning back around and expecting to see her standing there. However, her body had fallen to the floor and there was a small, growing blotch of red just below her ribs. “Wanda!” He called, sprinting towards her and looking down at her. “Wanda.” He repeated, shaking her slightly and causing her eyes to flutter open once again. 

“Ow.” She whispered, smiling slightly and then letting it fall away. Vision ripped off the sleeve of his shirt, tying it around her wound and knotting it tightly. “I got this, I can… get it out with…” Wanda coughed into her hand and her eyes twinkled for a moment. Vision tightened the cloth and pushed his hands against the gunshot, looking down to Wanda’s eyes tracking his hands. “I’m fine.” 

“You are not fine. We are going to find Captain Rogers, and then you  _ will  _ be fine.” Vision ordered, resting his hand under her head and his other beneath the crooks of her legs. “Wanda.” She turned her head and looked up, coughing into her weak hand again and squinting her eyes. 

“Yeah…?” Wanda whispered, blinking and then opening her eyes once again, searching his teal irises. His violet skin had returned and the trace of her blood on his hands was hidden in the color. He jostled his arms and she cried out in pain from the movement, sitting up in his grip and placing her arm around his neck and laying her head down on his shoulder. 

Vision looked down to her and he hurried his pace, walking through the train cars and calling Steve and Sam’s names. It was the first time ever she had heard actual fear in his voice. “You made me promise that you would never have to watch me die… now, I need you to make the same promise.” His eyes looked down to hers and there was a serious desperation in them, a need for the right answer. 

Wanda’s eyes looked down to the blood pouring from her gut and then she looked back up to him, nodding her head. “I promise.” Wanda whispered, her voice becoming weak and brittle. She coughed again, and a small dot of blood fell onto her fingertips.  _ ‘Wanda. Eyes open.’  _ Pietro called in her head and she obliged, blinking over and over again and reducing the weight of her eyelids. “I’ve been through worse… I can… handle this.” Wanda groaned, looking down to Vision’s sleeve across her stomach and wondering if the shirt had originally  _ been  _ red or not. 

“Yes, I know you can, but you have a .45 caliber bullet under your stomach and you are in danger of passing out due to blood loss.” He called Steve’s name once again and still, there was no response. She heard Vision curse under his breath and she looked up at him, seeing the anxiety in his features. He looked absolutely terrified and Wanda shut her eyes again for a moment, though he quickly jostled her again. 

“Ow.” She glared up at him but his eyes were scouring every single crevasse in the train cars for Steve or Sam. “Just… get us to the car. I’ll…” She broke into a coughing fit once again and covered her mouth with her hand. Slowly, it faded away and Wanda took a deep breath with a tiny drop of blood emerging from her pink lips. “I’ll… handle it from there.” Wanda whispered, her eyelashes fluttering for a second before they settled close for another moment. 

The sedative in her veins wasn’t helping and Wanda tucked her head into the crook of Vision’s neck. He looked down, holding her hand and gently kissing the top of her head. Wanda smiled but another rip of pain tore through her and her breath caught itself. It was like something was sucking the blood from the inside of her body, and it felt like the oxygen in her lungs was literally being taken from her. Her eyes were coated in scarlet color and her abilities were trying to protect her body out of instinct. It felt like a bomb about to explode. “Steve.” 

That was the first time Vision had ever addressed Steve like that and Wanda looked up, her arm hanging from Vision’s grip. “What the hell happened?” She felt like she was floating, and when she opened her eyes and looked down, she realized she was. Vision was taking her to the car, and his body was sustained in the air. There was a conversation going on, but Wanda couldn't hear right. 

It felt like she had tinnitus, her ears were just ringing and there was a deafening silence surrounding her. “... out of here.” There was a trace of words, she thought it was Sam’s voice, but she wasn’t sure. Someone else was touching her, she moved herself away, but it just made the stinging grow. When she opened her eyes again, she saw a jet-black truck before them and the sound of one of the doors unloading. 

Vision tried to sit her body up in the car and she cried out in pain, grabbing her wound and suddenly there was a lace of energy up her hands, pushing both Steve and Vision back from her. Wanda’s head hung and she looked up weakly, seeing that she had sent them back away from the car. The alarm of the car was blaring and she shut her eyes, twisting her fingers and cutting the sound. “I’m sorry… I can’t… control…” Wanda’s breath shuddered and she felt her body falling forward towards the ground. 

Someone caught her and she felt Vision’s arms around her, slipping her back in the car and laying her down in the back seat. She heard arguing for a moment and when the car started moving, she saw Steve’s face over hers. “Steve, get…” Vision’s words were muffled by the roaring of her own blood in her veins and she screwed her eyes shut, breathing scarily slowly. 

She saw Steve moving towards the injury with tweezers in his fingers , to extract the metal and she widened her eyes. “No, I… I can get it.” Wanda whispered weakly, shutting her eyes and raising her limp hand over her wound. Weak, scarlet webbing radiated from her fingertips, moving into the bloody mess and slowly dragging the bullet from her skin. Wanda cried in pain, jerking her fingers and keeping her eyelids shut.

The bullet was surfacing, digging through her skin and bubbling up. It hurt like hell, and her expression showed it. Wanda froze for a second, taking a moment to breath and shutting her eyes. It was silent in the car and she could hear the rumble of the tires against the road. It was different from the small bug she’d ‘borrowed’ for them earlier. Steve was always against stealing, but those agents had been on their trail for a few weeks, she realized now it was foolish of them to stay in any place but the car. They must have been right on their trail, they would only continue after this, due to the damage Wanda and Vision had caused when they attacked the pair. 

Finally, Wanda raised her hand again, her chest rising and falling both slowly and rapidly at the same time. Finally it emerged from her gut and it soared through the roof of the car, rocketing into the sky. Her breath was rising and falling rapidly and she was nearly hyperventilating, holding her wound with her hands and feeling two tears of pain roll down the sides of her cheeks. “Okay, I’ve got it now. Good job.” Steve’s face appeared in her vision and he was careful before pressing his hands down on the skin above her abdomen, where the injury laid. She nodded, laying her head back again and feeling the captain’s trace just below the wound. 

It felt like a fire in her skin and she shut her eyes for a second, but as soon as she did, the resistance to sleep fell away and her body froze in that second. She succumbed to the unconsciousness and her soft cries of pain ceased. Steve stopped, looking in her eyes and shaking her head slightly. “Shit.” Steve cursed, looking back to Sam and Vision and then down to Wanda. “Kid.” He shook her chin but her eyelids fell closed and Steve swallowed, trying it once again, but nothing resulted. 

“What?” Sam asked from the front, looking back to them but turning his head to the road again when he felt the car differ from its path. “Steve-”

“I don’t know, she’s not waking up.” He answered, keeping his hands on the bloody ravine in her skin and holding her cheek with his other hand, shaking it but her eyes remained shut. When he tore his hand away, a small residue of her blood was left on her flushed cheeks. There was a bead of cold sweat travelling down her temple and Steve brushed it away with his sleeve. 

Vision turned back, looking at her still face, though even if her body was paused, the blood dripping from her gut wasn’t. It was supposed to be impossible, but he felt like puking. “Steve, you have to stop the bleeding and sew the wound closed.” Vision ordered and the captain nodded, but his hands paused when he looked to his friend, a girl he considered a little sister, in such a state of death. Her chest was almost still. Vision sighed and phased his body through the car, sitting beside Wanda and raising her head onto his knee. “Let me do it.” 

The captain looked up, then back down to Wanda and nodded. He slipped into the front seat besides Sam and looked down at the blood on his hands. “We shouldn’t have stayed last night. They must’ve been onto us for a while.” Sam spoke, but a small moan of pain from Wanda broke off his sentence. There was a bead of sweat on Sam’s head and he looked back in the interior mirror, seeing Vision press a shard of his clothing to Wanda’s wound, ceasing the bleeding. “This was just a wakeup call.” 

Vision looked up, squinting his eyes and looking back down to Wanda. “A wake up call? If the bullet had struck half a  _ centimeter  _ higher, it would have ruptured her stomach lining and killed her.” Vision spoke in a quick tone and he reached in the pocket of the seat before him, taking out a first-aid kit from a small bag. It grew silent in the car and her labored breathing was the only sound. Vision’s touch was gentle, which was ironic considering the circumstances. 

Her entire shirt was covered in blood, so much so that it looked like that had been the attire’s original clothing. “I didn’t think they were going to…” Sam’s voice trailed off with the tires against the street and he cleared his throat. “We need somewhere to clean up.” He was right. Blood had been coated onto all of their shirts, especially Wanda’s. She looked like the walking dead. Her breathing was growing more even, but her body was glazed in a sweat. She was still scared.

Vision took one of the rags from the kit and dragged it over her skin, clearing the blood away from the white shades. He felt… sick. That wasn’t supposed to even be possible. Vision took a needle and string from the small bag and focused on the tiny gap in the metal, threading it slowly. He looked down to her face and the terror that was constricted in her slumbering expressions. “Vision?” 

“Yes, I am working on it.” He spoke, not taking his eyes off of her and brushing a wave of hair from between her eyes. Finally, he settled his hands on her stomach and pulled the laps of her jacket away, and curled her shirt to just below the peak of her ribs. The bones of her ribs shallowly poked from her skin, just enough so the subtle shadows were painted on her skin. He felt something sad run through him. He wasn’t sure why. 

“Vision.” 

“Yes, I’ve stopped the bleeding.” He answered, snapping himself out of the trance and pressing the tip of the sewing needle through the edge of the wound. Wanda, even sleeping, reacted and her lips muffled a small mewl of pain in her slumber.  _ I am sorry.  _ He thought, looping the string and doing the same over, making a stitch in her flesh. 

The bullet-hole was shrinking as he sewed it. His fingers shook slightly when he pulled them away from her wound. They stilled when he sewed another stitch, he tied more string into her flesh. “It should… stabilize her, if there was no internal bleeding.” Vision spoke in a lew tone and he cut the excess string, throwing the tools away and washing over the skin with the rag again. It was the best he could do, considering he failed to protect her in the first place. She was there looking for him, and he couldn’t block those bullets. 

“And if there is…?” Steve asked, looking back to him and robbing him of the rag, clearing his own hands. Vision didn’t have a response, but that was enough of an answer. “Maybe…” The sentence died on his lips and Steve turned his head away from Wanda’s almost dead-looking body. 

It happened quickly. One moment she was rescuing him and then he was carrying her through the train, asking her to promise she wouldn’t die. Wanda would keep her promise, though. He believed that. Vision phased once again, sitting where her head laid and laying her head on his knees gently. She hissed from the movement and he retracted his grip, leaving her still. “Let’s just find somewhere to stay for starters.” Sam replied, accelerating the car and looking back to Steve and Vision. Steve had tossed the rag to the floor of the car after he was done cleaning the blood from his hands, and a dot on his cheek. 

Vision didn’t wash it away, the blood on him stayed and ran into his skin. He had so many things to say, but he remained silent. Vision pressed his index finger against Wanda’s temple, trying to enter her mind -or nightmare- as he had the previous day, but something in her was restricting him. Wanda’s powers were in a defensive craze, and every now and then a spark would shoot from her fingertips and then fly away in a fizz. He released his grip and instead wrapped his fingers around hers, squeezing them.  _ I am going to keep my promise, Wanda Maximoff. You  _ must  _ keep yours.  _ He looked down at her hand and the blood decorating both of them. His artificial skin swept over his body and it only made the blood stand out more. 

When he tried once again to enter her dream as he had before, he heard… screams. Screams and yelling. He wasn’t sure who the voice belonged to, but it sounded… happy. They weren’t screams of fear, or terror. Not like the screams he’d heard the first time, they were laughs… the giggles of children. Vision remembered the memory she had shared of herself and her brother, in that sea. He was grateful it was no nightmare. The contains of her mind could sometimes be seen as prison bars… or a straight jacket. 

He looked down at her sleeping face on his knee. He could almost see the glow of her scarlet irises under her eyelids. The skin around her wound was almost fogged slightly with blood-red energy. It would pulsate, and then sink back into her body. Vision sighed, shutting his eyes and leaning against the seat. She was safe now, and her hand felt  _ alive  _ in his. He didn’t really need to sleep, his programming made it so he never required rest. He was made to be a weapon after all. He couldn’t get tired. 

They would come back. They had to be more careful. Now the consequences were clear, and they were terrifying. Vision swore: he wasn’t going to ever let anything happen to her again. He… he didn’t know a word to describe it. He was always so composed, and so careful. He would make sure each string of his shirt was organized. Something primal came over him when he saw that first pool of blood on the floor. 

His golden, artificial hair that fell from his skull was in a mess, and his sweater was covered in blood. It felt like it was sticking to his skin, mixing in. The daylight was disappearing and the illumination on Wanda’s still, sleeping figures slowly diminished. He realized she had already had scarring on her body, just on the ridges of her ribs, and some on her fingertips. It looked like… electrocution scars on her fingers. He turned his sight away. 

“Here… we should be good here for a few hours.” Sam spoke, pulling the car to a lot and looking to the side. It was another trashy looking hotel, but Vision only cared about the word ‘safe.’ The tires ceased and skidded for a moment against the rubber before stopping altogether. No one got out at first, and it was quiet. Steve was the first to lapel his hand against the handle and pry his door open. It squeaked slightly. 

There were still exposed wires of the mechanisms that hid inside the steering wheel, mostly since Wanda was the only one with experience in that field. Being young and orphaned in Sokovia was difficult, but it was useful. It taught Wanda and Pietro: the world doesn’t care about you, and no one is going to come to save you. You save yourself. You pull yourself towards the light. 

“I’ll carry Wanda.” Vision spoke, and there was no argument. He was protective of her, even if they were safe. She could level the entire earth, but right now, she couldn’t control her abilities, which was shown by the scarlet fog radiating from her hands like smoke. Sam and Steve abandoned the car and Vision looked down in the cool night, slowly letting Wanda’s head fall against the seat as he moved. “Alright… shall we get you inside?” He whispered softly, gently scooping his hands under her arms and vertically pulling her body from the car. When she was out, he scooped his arm under her legs, and placed one under her neck as he had done hours earlier. 

Her breath caught itself in pain and he stopped for a moment, tendering his grip. If he took too hard of a step, she complained by clenching her fists, or releasing a muffled, subtle cry of pain. “I apologize.” He murmured, looking down and hoping once her  _ beautiful  _ irises would be staring back at him. He pushed through the door of the motel and saw a pair of keys laying on the front desk. There was no one around and he released Wanda’s head, leaning her against his chest for a moment to take the keys, and then returned her to her original position in his arms. 

Wanda stirred for a moment, coughing softly into Vision’s chest, but she didn’t wake. Her arm wrapped itself around his neck and her slumbering self pulled her body closer. He smiled.  _ Here we are.  _ He thought, once again leaning her on his chest and pressing the metallic keys into the door, twisting them. The wood drifted open and Vision pushed through, settling his sight on the bed and walking slowly towards it. 

It was a queen size, and he gently bent down, exposing the sheets and peeling back the comforter. The fabric was colored a blood red and he found that ironically appropriate. Her shirt was still wet with her own blood and he shut his eyes for a moment, sighing. “Is it alright if I change your shirt…?” He asked, looking to her shut eyes and hearing no response. He took a shard of the sheet, ripping it off and tying it over his eyes. Vision gently sat her up, tugging on the fabric by her wrists and shipping her shirt over her, leaving her in a sports bra. There were a few drops of blood on it, but not enough to cause discomfort or soak it. He then shed his own jacket from his arms, unzipping it and feeling for her bare arms. He slipped her arms into the sleeves and pulled the fabric down to her wrists. Finally, he zipped the cloth closed. 

His fingers reached for his face and Vision sleeped the makeshift blindfold off of his artificial skin, holding his breath. He waited for her eyes to open and he did the same, but he just saw the shadows of her close eyelids. Vision set the blindfold down and he laid Wanda’s body down in the bed, slipping the hem of her new jacket upwards, revealing her wound. The veins around the sewn bullet-hole in her gut were a faint red, and it stood out in her white skin. 

There was an old scar right before the hem of the jacket cut off the sight of her skin. It looked like shrapnel had once run against the skin maybe. He made a guess that it was from the Sokovian bombings almost over a decade ago. 

_ “It… it was hot at first. I remember that. The fires, the burning flesh, it kept us warm. Pietro had grabbed a blanket before he got me.” She recalled, squinting her eyes and keeping her legs in a tucked position. Vision watched each word carefully and memorized the features on her face, and how they moved. He thought she was so pretty. Her eyes lit in the car, and the headlights on the highway flowed through the glass occasionally. “I wasn’t quick enough, I just felt… all of this blood splashed onto me, just… covered my face. There was a really loud  _ bang _ , and the floor just came apart.” Her eyes were shut, the pain and cold on her face revealed the fact that she was reliving every second of that pain, every sound of the building collapsing.  _

_ “It was silent for a few minutes, and then, well…  _ boom.  _ Another shell came in, landed a foot from my face. I waited for it to burst, I waited to die, but nothing came… It was a dud. It was God’s way of telling me ‘no;’ Stark’s way.’” Wanda whispered, opening her eyes for a moment and realizing Vision was staring straight into her irises. She cleared a tear rolling down her cheek and looked away. “We ate crumbs on the floor after a few hours. I was so thirsty, and… God, I can remember how  _ freezing  _ it was.” _

_ Wanda almost shivered remembering it and after she shut her eyes again, she felt Vision gently knotting his fingers with her own. Wanda smiled softly, lifting her eyelashes and looking around the room, focusing on all but his face. “We used my coat for a blanket, and after a few hours, we heard screaming. They took what was left of our parents, their bodies had been burnt in the first shell. I was… too scared to talk, I thought anything would set it off.”  _

_ Wanda squinted her eyes, looking down at Vision’s fingers in hers and clearing her throat when she felt her throat closing around itself. “I can imagine it… if that thing went off, I can see the blood, and I can still hear Pietro screaming right next to me. I probably think about it too much.”  _

Vision awoke from the memory of their conversation and he realized he had moved closer to Wanda’s body, and he pulled himself away. He wanted to kiss her again. Instead, he rose and moved to the other side of the bed. He sat above the blankets, not wishing to make her feel uncomfortable in any way in the chance she awoke. He knew the statistics, it was a small chance she’d wake so soon. If there was internal bleeding, if the bullet struck her stomach just an inch higher, she would not have made it a minute. If it was three inches higher, it would have ruptured her lung, and she would’ve drowned in her own blood while he watched. 

He shut his eyes, shaking his head and rising from the bed, returning to his position and dragging a metallic chair besides the bed. He sat down in it and prepared for a night that would be stained into his memory. “I am not leaving.” He settled himself, laying the tips of his feet on the bedframe and shutting his eyes.  _ It has been a long day.  _ He thought to himself, looking at Wanda a final time for the night. Her breathing was slow, but in even paces. That was a good sign. Her fever had broken, and the sweat that glazed her skin for hours was gone, or subdued, at least. 

Every now and then, she would take in a sharp inhale, or a sudden whisper of pain would echo through the dark room. He just held her hand and squeezed it. Occasionally, she would whisper, though he couldn’t understand the words, he then realized she would whisper in Sokovian, if she made a sound at all. Finally, after a few hours, after dawn began to paint itself in the sky, he granted himself the gift of shutting his eyes against his own resistance.  _ I am not leaving.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys, thanks so much for reading! this was a bit of a dramatic chapter lol, i wanted to do more of a hurt/comfort thing than the usual fluff or angst i do, i hope you guys enjoyed, i rewrote this chapter so many times lol. there will be an update tomorrow, that's really all for now, see you guys there!


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda awakens.

_ “ Once upon a time… there was a typical American girl… who happened to bump into a typical red-blooded American boy.” The television spoke in the distance, and the clanging of the cutlery was quiet and subdued. Wanda rested her small fingers on her chin and looked to the television, watching the beautiful woman on the screen and the handsome boy. It was a perfect world.  _

_ She believed in that perfect world, but sometimes, she feared it. Even at ten, she was already expected of so much. Wanda was dressed in a dirty skirt and a large shirt that fell over the hem. Her hair was messed and she felt someone fixing a curl behind her ear. “Mother-”  _

_ “Hush. Just let me fix this,  _ mila. _ ” She spoke the single word in her language and Wanda sighed, but allowed her to fight back the ferocious curl of hair. “There, go watch your brainwashing.” Wanda returned her eyes on the screen and heard the static of the old audio pour through the television. It smelled like rotting coffee, and she looked to Pietro beside her. “I won’t even attempt.” Their mother smiled, looking at the boy’s rebellious, brunette hair that washed over his head. It looked like a static explosion had struck him, and Wanda smiled.  _

_ Pietro held the small biscuit of bread in his hand and nibbled at it as the show commenced. The two characters on the screen were dancing, and Wanda smiled softly at her brother’s face. He had a smudge of dirt rubbed on his nose and their mother took a rag, washing it away. It smelled like old shoes, and Wanda turned her head, looking to her father. His head was hidden behind a newspaper and Wanda didn’t have to read it, she saw the picture below the heading. The young girl recognized the rectangular shape of the eyes on those robots, and she could read the imprintment on them:  _ Stark Industries.  _ Wanda squinted her eyes and looked away.  _

_ Technically, it was breakfast, but Pietro and Wanda were bundled together on the rotting blue couch. The yellow foam contained in the fabric was clear, but it didn’t matter; it was a nice couch. “I bet she totally kills him.”  _

_ “Pietro! It’s not like that! It’s… sweet.” Wanda sighed, propping her face on her hands and grinning when she looked as the two characters on screen kissed. Her brother gagged beside her and she jabbed him with his elbow, shushing him harshly. There was a sudden mist in the sky and Wanda turned her head for a second, seeing a trail of clouds in the sky. She turned her head to the television once again and felt Pietro’s head lean on hers.  _

_ There was the sound of a laugh track pouring from the old speakers and it cracked slightly due to the sudden noise. Muffled by the thin windows, there was a roaring in the sky, almost like that of a jet engine and Pietro looked back towards the windows. They looked like rockets soaring through the sky. “What are those?” Pietro asked, looking to Wanda beside him and searching her young eyes for an answer. She shrugged, looking back to the television but suddenly, it all happened.  _

_ There was a deafening bang and the room felt like an earthquake was trembling through it. Wanda screamed at an inconceivable pitch and suddenly, freezing liquid flashed onto her face. There was a gaping hole in the floor and she almost missed the sight of her mother and father’s corpses tumbling through, landing into a fire that had crawled up the support beams of the building. It hadn’t ended, the same screaming in the sky returned, and Wanda felt someone grabbing her, tearing her away from the hole. “Wanda!” Pietro called, shoving her body under the bed frame and dashing under himself.  _

_ Wanda hyperventilated, looking at the mutilated, separated hand of her mother laying by the gap in the flooring. There was fire everywhere, and it smelled like smoke. Rubble poured from the ceiling and she could see the looms of the dark gray sky rolling over the clouds through the gaps. “Mother…!” Wanda hissed, trying to move out from under the furniture but Pietro grabbed her hands, holding her under his arm and saying one word:  _ ‘no.’ 

_ “Wanda, Wanda, stop! Stop. They’re gone, but we aren’t, and we need to stay still.” He croaked, looking into her eyes and she saw the tears pouring down his young face, they joined hers. Wanda shook her head, once again trying to escape out but he held her down as gently as he could, shaking his head. “Stop! Listen, there are more!”  _

_ She quieted and heard the roaring in the sky. Wanda’s crying was muffled by Pietro’s shirt and he allowed her to hide in his arms. “Sh, sh… quiet.” As he spoke, there was the impending blast of something crashing through the window and Wanda screamed once again, hiding her face in her brother’s chest and whimpering in fear. There was blood coating her face and the scarlet sprinkled her lips and eyelashes. “Sh…” He whispered once again, wiping her face with his sleeve and looking out towards the room before them.  _

_ There was a large metallic bust two feet from their young, bloodied faces and Pietro swallowed, feeling his eyeballs bulge out of his head.  _ Stark Industries.  _ The shell casing read and they both quieted instantly, though both of their shallow crying could be heard in each other’s arms. “P-Papa, he… he…”  _

_ “Wanda, sh.” Pietro hushed her quietly and Wanda looked into his chocolate eyes, blinking and seeing a sprinkle of blood laying on his eyelash. “We need to stay quiet. It… it could…” The small, passive strength in him was distinguished and he quieted, settling his head on Wanda’s as he had done seconds ago… seconds ago  _ wasn’t  _ seconds ago. It felt like hours, and then it was, and it was days, and it felt like weeks then years. She was trapped there, drowning in her parents’ blood and screaming, terrified of her own breath.  _

Wanda’s breath exhaled quickly and she felt her vision paint over in black. Someone moved beside her and she winced, adjusting her body. She found that moving was not a good idea and Wanda remained still. Her head was ringing and she heard her brother’s ghost somewhere in her thoughts, but the voice was muffled, as if a bomb had gone off and her ears were ringing. 

Her throat was dry, as if sand had been poured down her throat, and it was scratchy. She could feel her own energy lining up her arms as she awoke and Wanda’s lips muffled a small moan of pain that echoed in her ears.  _ ‘It was just a nightmare.’  _ Pietro spoke in her ear, his voice slightly clearer, but she corrected him.  _ A memory… same thing, I suppose. _ Wanda’s squinted her shut eyes, furrowing her eyebrows and feeling her own palm being held by someone else. It was soft and then she realized someone was speaking. Someone was calling her name gently. 

Wanda’s head hurt and it felt like she had a concussion. “Wanda?” It was Vision’s voice, she recognized the soft tones of his whisper. She could feel the rays and warmth of sunlight reflecting on her face and her eyelids were colored a maroon under the light. There was a knocking on the door and Wanda moved her head away, scrunching her features and exhaling quickly at the noise. Any sound too loud hurt her and it felt like she had an actual migraine.  _ So, this is what it feels like, then.  _ Wanda thought, almost being grateful that Pietro hadn’t survived any longer. She was glad he didn’t have to suffer, at least it was instant. Wanda had saved one of the bullets that took her brother away from him, Clint gifted it to her. 

It was almost sweet how destroyed Barton was for a small period of time after his death. He always blamed himself, Wanda hypothesized that was still the case. 

_ It was silent, and Wanda held Pietro’s freezing hand. The roar of the engines tore through the sky and she sat in the corner of the quinjet, staring into his watery, blue eyes. She couldn’t see, not really. Wanda wasn’t crying, but still, silent tears drifted from her eyes. Everyone’s eyes were on her and away from her at the same time, no one could even speak to her… Wanda had slapped Stark. She didn’t even know why she did it, she was just so furious and she didn’t know how to cope.  _

_ There was a body next to her and Wanda tilted her head, seeing Clint’s eyes looking into Pietro’s as well. He sat beside her and he met her gaze, heaving a deep sigh. “Is… is it okay if I…?” The words died on his lips, but Wanda understood the meaning. She ducked her head, nodding and watched as Barton took Pietro’s other hand, holding it and squeezing the teenager’s palm. It felt like ash and the skin had already been affixed with a cold trace.  _

_ His body was beginning to enter rigor mortis, and his limbs had started to settle in a stiff fashion. Wanda’s hair fell from her skull and the tips had been decorated with his blood. There was one bullet hole in his throat, two in his lungs, three in his chest. Her eyebrows furrowed in fury and she felt hate and anguish radiate from her. Wanda was terrified and furious that she wasn’t the one to kill Utron. She wasn’t the one to exterminate him, she couldn’t avenge her brother. It felt like she had lost a limb. “I’m sorry.” Barton’s voice was wavering and Wanda heard tragedy.  _

_ Suddenly, Wanda broke and she hid in Clint’s arms, weeping softly. The man was clearly cut off guard, but he slowly released his hand from Pietro’s, wrapping his grip around Wanda. “I’m so sorry.” Barton whispered in her ear and her small sounds of heartbreak were muffled by his shirt. Clint looked up, and he saw Steve and the rest of the team looking at the two. Everyone was silent. The only sound was Wanda’s mewls of tragedy and anguish. “I was too slow…” He murmured to himself, looking at Pietro’s eyes and reaching one of his hands over, shifting the boy’s eyelids closed.  _

_ “It’s not your fault, Clint.” Wanda whispered, surfacing from his chest and looking into his gaze with puffy eyes and shining irises. “It’s Ultron’s… he is lucky he doesn’t have to face me.” Wanda hissed, looking to Pietro’s still face again. Her bottom lip wavered and she bent beside the bench that his body was laid on. Trails of dry blood were dripping from his features and Wanda wiped them away with her sleeve, smearing the blood on her outfit.  _

_ She unzipped her jacket, covering the bullet holes with the fabric and shutting her eyes.  _ Rest now.  _ She thought, tying his hands on her chest and keeping them in her grip. Tears dripped down her face but she made no sound and Wanda lowered her head onto her brother’s chest, wiping away the tears with his bloody shirt. It went quiet again.  _

There was conversation and Wanda barely opened her eyelids. She saw the small imprint of her eyelashes and she tried to pry her eyelids open, but she was exhausted. Her body was too tired after keeping her alive in such a death-state. “... yet. I am unsure.” It was Vision’s voice and she could see only his hands across the room. They were covered in blood and Wanda swallowed, trying to make any noise but she only achieved a small cough that dusted her lungs. There was a sound of the door closing and Wanda’s half open eyes searched the room for any sense of familiarity. 

She heard a deep, desperate sigh and there was the sound a chair scraping against the floor. It was a high-pitched screech and Wanda’s breath rushed in ache and she scrunched her features together, releasing a foriegn curse under her breath. “Wanda?” Wanda heard a whisper moving towards her and her eyelashes weakly opened halfway. “Wanda.” Someone took her hands again and she tilted her head, meeting Vision’s tired, desperate eyes. “Are you alright, how do you feel?” He asked so many questions in such little time and she shut her eyes again for another moment, releasing a weak yawn. 

“Alive.” Wanda responded softly, opening her eyes again and searching the room. He sat on the edge of the bed, holding her hand and watching each movement of her face. There was a small lace of pain that ran through her and her breathing rate increased for a moment. “Thank you…” Wanda whispered gently, smiling weakly and seeing that the color in his face had returned. He was wearing his artificial disguise and Wanda raised her hand slowly, brushing his cheek and curling her lips into a smile. Slowly she released it after her tire grew and Wanda turned her head, squinting her eyes. “Where are we?” 

Wanda spoke quietly, maybe because she was just exhausted. “Steve drove for a few hours…” Vision explained, looking back towards the door and then turning his head back towards her. Wanda nodded, coughing gently again and brushing her lips with her sleeve. She looked down, realizing it wasn’t her jacket and she realized that it was Vision’s. She smiled and pulled the sleeves to her wrists. “Do you mind if I…?” 

Wanda nodded and Vision gently pulled the comforter from her for a second. He pulled up the tip of her shirt, revealing three short stitches along her gut and Wanda smiled, looking up at him. “Guess I should be glad you got better at sewing.” He chuckled softly and reached towards the bureau beside Wanda’s head, taking a roll of bandages and tying a small patch over the stitches. “... feel a bit better.” She nodded, pressing her hand against the stitches and then pulling the fabric of her shirt down, zipping up Vision’s jacket around her and nestling comfortably in the cloth. 

“Alright… Captain Rogers suggests we get moving tomorrow. Though, we might need your expertise in getting another vehicle.” Wanda giggled softly and she nodded, lacing her hands around his again and looking into his eyes. It was quiet for a moment and it seemed he just enjoyed watching her eyes open and her chest rise and fall. “I apologize.” 

“For what…?” Wanda asked, furrowing her eyebrows together and watching his expression falter for a second. Wanda tilted her head, squeezing his hand and hearing absolute silence. There was nothing around, and she made the guess that they were in the middle of nowhere. 

“Well… I could not protect you.” Vision stated as if it were obvious and Wanda ceased her movement for a moment, looking into his eyes and studying every blemish on his skin, every shadow that his eyelashes imprinted onto the skin below them.

Wanda looked down to her fingertips, still able to see the small imprints of ash or electricity on the skin. “Well, I’m alive, aren’t I?” They shared a small smile and he nodded, dipping his head for a moment. There was still blood soaking his hands and she frowned, sitting up slowly. 

“Wanda-” She shushed him gently and ignored the brush of pain that ran through her after she sat against the headboard of the head. Wanda took a damp rag that laid on the bureau, she presumed it was  _ her  _ blood that tainted the wet cloth. Wanda held the tips of his fingers and pressed the cloth against his skin, clearing away her blood. “I am glad you’re alive.” He spoke as she washed away the blood gently and then looked into his eyes. 

He had a small smear of blood on his cheek and she held the edge of his face with her hand and wiped it away, smiling up at him. Vision then pressed his face forward and kissed her gently, and she smiled against his lips, kissing him back softly and staying there for a moment.  _ ‘Gross.’  _ Wanda shut Pietro’s voice out and leaned her forehead against his. They both wore shy smiles and Wanda shut her eyes, keeping one of her hands conjoined with Vision’s and taking a deep sigh. Her breath reflected across Vision’s cheeks and a red shade affixed on both of their cheeks. 

He opened his eyes, watching the fear in her face and his expression shifted. “What’s wrong?” Vision asked, holding her hand and moving his face away, afraid he was making her feel uncomfortable. Wanda opened her eyes and his small smile dropped when he saw her eyes shining with tears. “If I’m making you feel uncomfortable-” 

“No, no… it’s not that.” Wanda shook her head, meeting his eyes but then looking down at her hands and crossing her legs under the blankets. It was warm and a string of hair hung from her roots. Vision noticed whenever she shut her eyes, she would fiddle with a silver ring on her fourth finger and spin it around her skin. There was a miniscule dot of blood on the underside. “I care about you, Vis…” He smiled sadly and looked at the colors of her shut eyelids. “Everyone I’ve ever cared about is dead.” Wanda whispered, opening her eyes and looking into his teal irises. There were dark blue loops circling around his pupils and the dark spheres reflected her own picture in his glassy eyes. “Aren’t you scared to be near me?” 

“No. I made you a promise. I am keeping it.” He shrugged, treating the question like it was almost silly. Wanda looked into his eyes for a moment, her bottom lip trembling slightly and she hung her head, wrapping her arms around his body weakly and hiding her head in his chest. “Just… do not get shot again.” Wanda smiled and laughed softly under her breath, nodding her head. 

Wanda’s hair had been tied in two braids as it had been before she lost consciousness, and the very tips of her hair were damp. She assumed it was to get the blood out of her hair. “Alright. Deal.” She lifted her head and took his hand, shaking it firmly. They both smiled and a comfortable silence fell over them. After a moment, Wanda’s body went limp and Vision looked down, realizing she had fallen asleep in his grip. He inhaled deeply, her hair held the scent of strawberry shampoo. Gently, he released her and let her body track back against the pillows.  _ We are both safe.  _ He told himself, raising his body and covering her body with the comforters once again. Her hands held the free pillow beside her and she hugged it tightly, leaning on it and twisting her body to the side. 

Vision felt whatever anxiety he had been holding for the past two days radiate into the air. Minutes passed by, Steve or Sam would occasionally come in, but Wanda didn’t wake for a few hours again. She’d stir, or murmur something in her sleep, but she never really woke until night stirred. They were talking, just Vision and Wanda. He tried to make her laugh with stupid jokes. “Two toasters were sitting on a counter. One toaster turns to the other toaster and asks: ‘do you sometimes feel empty?’ Then, the other toaster says, ‘oh my God, a talking toaster!’” Wanda looked up, her eyes glowing with delight and she laughed, covering her mouth, embarrassed of her smile. 

“Alright… let me see if I can beat that.” Wanda pushed her lips to one side of her face and shut her eyes, thinking. “Hm. What did the robot have written on their gravestone? Rust In Peace.” Vision laughed quietly and his flashed white teeth stood out from his violet skin. Her hair was slightly damp, since she had finally recovered the strength to stand on her own and actually walk without having to rely on Sam or Vision holding her. 

Wanda looked up to Vision, a small smile growing on her lips. “I have an idea.” She thought, the light of the sun pouring through the windows and onto her face. “We’re leaving tonight, right?” Vision nodded, squinting his eyes and tilting his head and confusion. 

“Yes, tonight.” Wanda smiled, turning around and reaching for a light jacket that was strewn across the bureau and slipped it over her body. “Why?” He asked, watching her take her bag from the dresser beside her and search in it for two things, but he couldn’t see into the dark bag from where he sat beside her.

“Well, I’m pretty sure there’s too many bullet holes in that truck to be conspicuous.” Wanda shrugged, looking up to him with the sun highlighting the golden flecks in her eyes and the amber streaks of hair that naturally hid in her eyes. “Let’s go find something new, we need some supplies, anyway.” Vision stilled for a moment, itching the back of his ear nervously and shrugging. 

He looked into her eyes and it seemed like he actually considered his moment but finally, he shook his head no and turned his head around. It was sweet how much he cared, but he was caging her, even if he didn’t mean to. “I am not sure… perhaps we should tell Captain Rogers before-” 

“C’mon, let’s go.” Wanda whispered, raising her hood over her head, and her two braids poke from either side of the fabric. She smiled up at him and slipped her boots on, tying the laces and carefully standing. He raised his arm out and she settled her hand on it for a second but eventually, she settled on her own two feet. “See? Fine.” She still spoke softly, even if she had been slumbering for almost two straight days. Her stitches had tore the previous day and,  _ God,  _ it hurt to tear them out and reinstate them, but she always recovered quickly. After Sokovia, she had a high pain tolerance.

Steve had been out all day, supposedly getting them papers. Sam hadn’t agreed to leave the country, but it was seen that if it was only him, he’d be able to hide out at Barton’s farm for a few weeks. Until he changed his mind, or he decided to come out of hiding. Sam had no home, he had the meeting center in D.C, but after that whole mess in the capitol with S.H.I.E.L.D, he had rightfully been evicted. “I think you and I have a different definition of ‘fine,’ Wanda Maximoff. You’ll tear one of your stitches.” He shook his head, turning back around and pretending to pack his bags but she smiled and tilted her head. 

“It’s a cute attempt, but I think I’ve been imprisoned here long enough… come on, toaster. Shoes.” He looked back at her and she yanked him off of the bed by both of his hands, handing him his sneakers and giving him a small smile. He sighed, sitting on the bed and slipping the canvas shoes onto his feet. They were dark black and blended in with the dark colors of fabric he wore. 

The song of birds could be heard outside and Wanda opened the blinds, looking out towards the small town. There were people crossing the street and she saw two children from the glass windows of a store. Finally, Vision stood and she watched as the artificial, white skin she knew painted over his body, and golden hairs sprouted from his roots. Wanda took a hat from one of the dressers and slipped it over her head, she looked down and in the mirror was unable to see her face.  _ This’ll do for now. Unfortunately, not all of us can change our faces.  _ The wrist of her sleeve exposed herself when she tucked her hair before her shoulders and slung her bag over her shoulders. Vision squinted his eyes and saw a small marking on the skin and she noticed his sight on her. “What?” She asked him softly, looking at him and tilting her head. 

“What is on your arm?” He asked, standing and taking her hand gently. She squinted her eyes in confusion and he slipped the tip of her sleeve up, revealing a small tattoo on her arm, around the size of a fingernail. It read:  _ 015\.  _ Wanda looked down at it for a moment and she nodded, gently taking her hand from him for the first time and slipping her sleeve back up. “What is it?” 

They hadn’t really talked about what this meant, what their connection meant. They both simply knew the other cared for them, and neither of them wanted to lose the other. That was enough to make them stick together. “Nothing…” She whispered, turning around and slinging the other band of her backpack on and opening the door, significantly quieter. “C’mon, we should get going.” 

He nodded, watching her carefully for a moment before following her out of the motel room, feeling a pang of guilt run through him. Slightly under his guilt, however, was raw  _ curiosity.  _ A shameful, human emotion.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

The streets were beginning to die, contradicting the life they had held hours ago when the light was held high in the sky. Their shoes slapped against the concrete and Wanda looked at the glass windows. It was nice to be in some sort of civilization again. Wanda looked in the grocery bags they had collected and she crossed words off of the list that was placed at the top. “Alright… I think we have everything.” She decided, scrunching the paper and tossing it into a garbage can that laid beside them. 

“We still require a vehicle.” Vision spoke and she nodded, looking around them. There was a dull parking lot ahead and she smiled, pointing towards it. 

“There we go.” Wanda waved him over, looking around in the increasing darkness and searching for anyone around, but it was a small time, and a late time. Steve and Sam were probably still out receiving papers however, so it was safe, and they wouldn’t worry the others. Wanda took her bag from her back, laying it on the hood of a station wagon that laid in the parking lot. The only light came from a street lamp above them, but the lot was mostly empty. “So, how is it you do this?” Vision asked, two grocery bags in his left hands as he watched Wanda unload two things from her bag. There was a large metal… well, he wasn’t sure what it was. It looked like a flattened antenna of sorts, like solid metal string. “What is that?” 

Wanda smiled at his numerous amounts of questions and she stepped on the metal level that led to the door and raised her elevation. “Just watch.” She laughed softly, shutting her left eye and carefully lowering the metallic stick into the gap between the window and the entrance to the car. He watched as it sank into the interior of the car and she slid it to the left, hovering it over the lock on the inside of the door. “Slide it in… push the pin down.” Wanda slipped the metallic string above the lock pin and slid it down, unlocking the door. 

“Impressive.” Vision observed as she pulled the door open and sat inside the driver’s seat, taking a screwdriver from her bag and sitting down on the space between the edge of the seat and the foot pedals. “What are you doing?” 

“Well, you don’t happen to have keys, do you?” She asked, looking up towards him and the silence on his smile answered her question. Wanda took the tool, jamming the driver into the gap where the keys would go until she heard a tiny  _ click.  _ She turned it and the engine was brought to live with a start. Vision reached over her body and placed the shift in park before the car moved with her in it. “And… good as new.” 

She left the screwdriver wedged in the gap and slid herself out of the van, burying her tools in her bag once again. The stars twinkled above them and she realized the beauty of the sky above them. Wanda could see Venus from the easter sky, something Pietro had taught her how to identify. “What is it?” He asked, looking at her staring up at the sky and suddenly, she walked towards an alley nearby. “Urm… Wanda?” 

“Look, come here.” She waved Vision and he followed in a confused fashion. The alley was thin and it had pipes leading up to a stubby building that constructed it. “Follow me.” Wanda still walked with a small limp and she raised her boot onto one of the pipes, climbing up towards the roof of the building with the help of the water pipings. 

She was slower and less nimble than she usually would be and when she looked down for Vision, she saw a small glow beside her and saw him floating in the air, sharing a smug smile. “Alright, that isn’t fair.” Wanda smiled, squinting her eyes and reaching up for another one of the pipes, climbing up and up until finally she scrambled up the brick roof. The entire, small town was visible, even from the short construction. “See? Look.” Wanda sat down on the small roof and laid down, looking up at the starry sky. 

Wanda heard Vision’s footsteps and soon, he sat beside her, their feet hanging off the front of the building. “Yes, I suppose it’s a rather starry night.” He observed the twinkling balls of heat and saw Wanda’s eyes focusing on the full moon. She had a small smile on her face and it was quiet, besides their own breathing. If she really tried to listen she could hear a small  _ whirrr  _ release from Vision every now and then. They stayed there for a moment and Wanda looked upwards, a soft smile on her lips when she looked up at the moon. 

“We were gonna live there… Pietro and me.” Wanda grinned, laughing softly at the childish dream. They were the only case in which dreams survived Sokovia, mostly because they had each other. They were lucky. Not everyone had someone. They were the only ones who survived, and Wanda wasn’t sure why, but she surely did not take it for granted. Each breath was a privilege. “That sounds stupid.” Wanda laughed, tilting her head and seeing Vision’s smile as he looked up to the stars. The lights reflected on their eyes and it grew quiet for a moment, but it was a comfortable silence. 

Neither of them had anything to say, but their thoughts were clear and out in the air. “It is not stupid… having a dream is honorable.” Vision decided in a low, soft voice. It was cold, and their breath echoed out into the open air. Wanda still wore the jacket she had woken up in almost a week earlier, his jacket. It made her feel safe. “I wish I could dream.” Vision admitted, raising his hand above his chest and slipping his artificial skin on and off. 

“Everyone can have a dream.” Wanda shook her head and turned her head to look at him. She sat up with her legs beyond her knees hanging beyond the building. “Just think of something you want… that’s a dream.” The wrists of her sleeves were rolled up once again. Vision sighed, sitting up and looking out towards the empty, giant parking lot. It was empty, and he could still see Wanda’s bag laid on the front of the station wagon. “Do you have it?” 

Vision shut his eyes for a moment, holding a picture in his head… it was a year, it had been a year since Sokovia, and a year since Wanda arrived at the compound. He wasn’t sure what he felt, it was a human emotion and he couldn’t place the name for it. He pictured her in his head and then opened his eyes, seeing her look into his eyes. “Alright, now you can dream.” Wanda smiled softly, sitting closer to him and leaning her head on his shoulder. They hadn’t really ever talked about it, what this meant, what  _ they  _ meant. They were just open in the air: Wanda cared about him and Vision cared about her. That was enough. 

She could feel his sight lingering on the small label, the small tattoo on her wrist and she looked up to him, seeing the reflections of the cloudy stars above in his irises. “Can I ask…?” He spoke quietly, his robotic and formal language falling away for a second. Wanda sighed, looking down towards the sidewalk below the roof and then looked to the small tattoo on her arm. It was about the size of a fingernail and marked a small number:  _ 015\.  _

“When we signed up, they branded us.” She admitted, rubbing the skin and then slinking the arm of her sleeve back up to her wrist, clearing her throat. Vision looked into her eyes, his sad gaze meeting hers. “I don’t know how to care about people anymore…” Wanda whispered, looking down at the branding, even if she couldn’t see it through the fabric of her sleeve. Vision held her wrist gently and it was like the poison and the fear that was traveled through the symbol was wiped away, and she just felt his grip. 

“I was built to be a weapon. I was never supposed to feel anything…” He murmured in a low tone, joining Wanda in looking at the sidewalks below. Occasionally, one person -or two- would pass by, but pay no attention to the pair. “I haven’t ever cared for someone… before this. We can learn together… can we?” He asked her, his artificial skin being lit under the moonlight. 

Wanda’s eyes remained on the concrete below and she stilled for a moment. “Or not… if I am making you uncomfortable-” 

“I’d like that.” Wanda cut him off, looking into his eyes with a sheepish smile and then nodding. She leaned her head against his shoulder again and they both quieted once again. The soft wind brushed their hair slightly and Wanda looked out at the town. Moments, or minutes, passed by and Wanda shut her eyes for a second. Her side still stung, but being here, in the peace and silent of the night, helped. It took the pain out of her mind.

It was cute… how protective he suddenly had become. After she woke up he was defensive and protective when there were other people around. It made her smile. It was odd to have someone who actually cared about her. Pietro cared about her, and with each day she could hear Pietro’s voice in her head grow. It was like it was getting stronger, and she didn’t know if it was her grief or if it was something else. Wanda didn’t know which one she hoped for. Just as she was thinking about the subject, her eyesight settled on someone standing by the station wagon they had stolen. She squinted her eyes, focusing on them. 

He had striking, luminescent hair that shone under the street-lights, it was colored the shade of the clouds. Wanda froze and she rubbed her eye with her sleeve, looking again. He wore a blue exercise jacket and had sneakers… the sneakers were painted with blood. Wanda raised her head and her smile dropped.  _ Pietro?  _ She asked for the ghost in her head and there was no response.  _ Am I going crazy?  _ Wanda asked herself and she shut her eyes for a moment, opening them again and seeing that the figure had turned around. His back was facing her and there were several bullet holes sprinting in his body. Wanda’s breath hitched and she raised her head, looking towards the body. “What is it?” Vision asked, looking down at her and then following her gaze to the car. “Wanda?” 

She looked away from the ghostly image of her brother and shut her eyes. “I think I might be going crazy.” Wanda whispered, resting her chin on her hands and leaning forward. She blinked again, but still, Pietro’s wavering picture didn’t disappear. “Do you ever see people?” She asked him, looking into his eyes and then imagining where his stone would be if he wasn’t cloaking. He didn’t respond and she took it as a ‘no.’ Wanda looked back towards her ‘brother’ in the parking lot. Wanda squinted her eyes and played with the ring that laid on her fourth finger. 

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean ever since Sokovia, I have heard Pietro in my head, and now I can see him right there.” Wanda pointed to the cement bench beside the station wagon and stared at it with a haunted expression. He looked back at her and waved. His smile was familiar and she swallowed, wishing that she could feel his embrace or hear his voice one more time. He was smiling, contradicting the bullet holes that littered his body. Dry blood was staining his jacket. She still had the jacket her brother had died in. Wanda cleaned the blood from it, but she didn’t sew the bullet holes. 

Vision followed her gaze, but he could see nothing beside the concrete and the tires of the car. “Perhaps it’s just grief?” Vision asked carefully and Wanda shook her head, raising her head from her hands and scrunching her knees into the grip of her arms. “In some cases-” 

“No, it’s like… it’s like he’s right here in my head… like he’s living in me. But it sounds like him, it’s his voice. And that’s  _ his  _ body.” Wanda murmured, looking into his eyes and suddenly, he vanished like he was made of a scarlet shade of fog. “He’s gone now.” She whispered, placing her head back on Vision’s shoulder and shutting her eyes. 

Vision’s sight lingered for a moment and then he looked down to her. She was shorter than him and when she tried to raise her head to his, she only reached the tip of his shoulder. He’d tease her sometimes. “What does he say?” Vision asked in a soft voice, and the exhale of his breath reflected against the top of her head. Wanda took a deep breath, but the tightness in her wound wouldn’t allow her to inhale too much. 

_ ‘I’m here.’  _ Pietro announced in her head and a small twitch of her lips curled the tissue into a gentle smile. “He talks like my brother.” Wanda answered, moving her gaze up and looking into Vision’s eyes. Their sight lingered for a moment and Wanda broke the sight, looking back towards the car a few meters away. “We should get back, Steve and Sam just got back.” She could read their minds, even if she couldn’t see them. Each day she felt herself getting stronger and she felt her abilities growing, and for the first time ever, it didn’t scare her. Wanda believed in her restraint for the first time since… well, since she could remember. 

“Alright.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading everyone :3 there will be another update soon since im kinda mass producing this rn since it' so fun to write haha, so there might be another tomorrow. alright, that's really all for today again, see you guys soon ! <3


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was time to try and escape the country: what could possibly go wrong?

Wanda leaned over the sink, zipping open the cosmetic bag and looking at the contacts. She looked up and slipped them into her eyes, blinking and squeezing her eyes shut for a second. It stung for a second, but slowly the water washed away and she looked at her sapphire blue eyes in the mirror. There was the bustling of people outside the door and she took a deep breath, smelling the scent of airports. Sam had already departed, they had dropped him off at Barton’s farm. He’d be safe there. 

_ “What the hell happened?” He asked, looking at Wanda in the kitchen seat as the others talked in the living room. She held her hand on her gut and had a tired face , but she looked happy. Wanda had torn one of her stitches getting out of the car and Vision had fought to fix it, but Clint wanted to ask her about it anyway. Wanda lifted the hem of her shirt, revealing the small assortment of stitches.  _

_ “Some agents tracked us down, took us. I got hit while I was getting Vis out.” She answered, feeling him wash it was a rag and placed a bandage on it. “I totally took it like a champ.” Wanda grinned and she heard him laugh under his breath, pulling the bottom of her shirt back down and tossing the rag into the sink with a small  _ clink. 

_ There were the sounds of children laughing outside and Wanda smiled, seeing Lila and Cooper playing with Sam outside. Vision stood beside him, smiling at the two children and kicking the soccer ball when it came his direction. Wanda smirked. She felt Clint’s eyes on her and she turned her gaze away from Vision with color shading her cheeks. “Just don’t get shot again. Please.” Wanda smiled and nodded, lifting her hand from her side and standing. “So… haven’t been too miserable without me?”  _

_ “Haha.” Wanda barked, rolling her eyes and leaning against the wall, smiling at the children outside. There was a small cradle that held Nathaniel and she walked towards it, looking down at the infant. He was chubby, and his eyes were large and dark like Laura’s. He had Clint’s nose, though.  _

_ Nathaniel cooed when he saw Wanda and she beamed, tickling his chin and hearing the child’s giggle. “He’s chubby.” Wanda grinned, looking up to Barton and seeing him right beside her. He looked down at the child and picked him up from the crib, cradling him in his arms.  _ He’s such a softie.  _ Wanda teased Barton in her mind and watched Vision outside join Lila’s team against Cooper and Sam. It was hilarious to see him, and she watched his smile as one of the kids projected the ball into the rope goal at the end of the yard.  _

_ “Looks like they need you.” Barton beamed and Wanda tickled the palm of the infant he was holding before turning around, limping towards the door and leaning out, looking at the soccer game commencing between Sam and Vision, with either of the kids besides the ‘heroes.’ It was a rainy day, and they still were playing despite the mud that was drowning the yard. There was a dash of mud on Vision’s cheek and Wanda smiled. The android smiled when one of the kids scored another point and Lila high-fived him. Wanda beamed.  _

It smelled odd in the small room and she wrinkled her nose.  _ Do I look like Wanda Maximoff?  _ She asked the ghost in her head. Wanda had almost gotten used to ‘Pietro’ inhabiting her thoughts and she heard him hum.  _ ‘Eh… can you lose the superpowers?’ Wow, you’re so funny.  _ Wanda rolled her eyes, slinging her bag back over her shoulders and unlocking the bathroom stall with her mind. She turned around, sighing and feeling fear crawl up her spine as she walked out. 

Vision and Steve were waiting outside the men’s bathroom and she walked towards them. “Alright… let’s go.” Steve spoke in a low tone and they walked close together. Steve wore a baseball hat and Vision had his artificial skin coating his body. He looked nothing like the android she had… Well, what did you call it? Wanda didn’t know a word for the care she felt for Vision. 

With care, she felt  _ terror  _ when she realized how destroyed she would be if anything happened to him. However, Wanda knew somewhere that he’d keep his promise. He kept his word. “This will work.” Vision spoke, looking into her eyes and taking her hand. Wanda smiled and they both followed Steve. It was busy and the sunlight was dying. Every now and then, she would see a shirt with Steve’s shield imprinted on it. Wanda looked to her left and she stopped for a second, looking at a child with her brother’s picture on it.  _ ‘Look, I’m famous.’  _

As they moved past the security gate Wanda pointed her head down, blocking it with her hat. She noticed there was the symbol of Steve’s shield on her head and Wanda realized she hadn’t even noticed that. Vision wore his disguise and even though he was unrecognizable, he too looked down. Steve had grown facial hair, so that blurred his identity slightly. However, they were probably the three most wanted war criminals, and after the incident on that train, Wanda had learned to never take safety for granted. “We shall be fine.” Vision assured them, squeezing Wanda’s hand and she balanced her eyelashes, shutting them. 

Finally, she felt the weight pass from her shoulders and they were on the boarding deck for the plane. “See?” He asked, shrugging his shoulders and loading his suitcase above the seats. Wanda sat beside him, curling her knees into her arms and looking out at the wings of the metallic plane. He smiled, trying to make her lips curl into a smile. “See… would you tease me if I were to tell you I have a fear of heights?” 

“You can fly and you have a fear of heights?” Wanda laughed softly, looking into his eyes. His eyes were the only thing he never disguised. The same teal portraits always surrounded his pupils and the black orbs connected with hers. “Yes, I would tease you.” He chuckled and she reached into her backpack, taking a small player and slipping a pair of thin earbuds in her ears, hearing a fuzzy tone play through the headphones. 

The roar of the engine sounded in the air and as the plane took off, she took a deep sigh. A rush of relief pushed itself up her bloodstream as they escaped America. They were leaving behind all they had to deal with in the last three months of being fugitive escapees.  _ ‘Y’know, we’ve never been on an actual plane like this.’  _ Pietro spoke above the music and she raised the volume, tuning him out and watching the clouds pass by the planes. 

It looked so peaceful when the buildings below were barely visible. Up here, she didn’t have to worry, up here, she felt like anything was possible. The sunset painted beautiful sketches of pastel colors across the sky and it reflected in her eyes. Wanda felt Vision’s sight on her but she was already half asleep. It was a long effort getting through the airport and security with no one recognizing them. 

_ “This is a terrible idea.” Wanda spoke, looking to Steve and Vision and placing her hands on her hips. “Steve, you’re Captain America, the entire country knows your face and we’re going right into the lion’s den.”  _ She remembered her words from hours ago, but it was two against three. Of course, it was easy for Vision to go along with it, he would not be recognized had they been caught. 

She felt Vision’s arm graze hers and when she looked to him, he had fallen asleep and his head was laying on the edge of her shoulder. Wanda smiled softly and studied his slumbering features before turning her vision back to the window. When she looked out at the clouds she thought about Stark. Wanda knew she had no reason to, Stark had betrayed them. He must’ve known they put her in that straight jacket in the Raft. That, or Ross was truly a monster. 

Wanda was scared. She was scared this wasn’t going to last, this happiness she suddenly felt with Vision beside her. Wanda was terrified she’d have to watch him die. She’d had to see her parents’ demise, and her brother’s bullet-ridden corpse. 

Steve slept in the aisle behind Wanda and Vision. His shambled beard dusted his chin. Wanda looked around at the inhabitants of the planes, and she saw the child she’d seen before with her brother’s face on his shirt. Wanda ducked her head down and scratched her fingernail against the volume dial of her player, deafening herself and shutting her eyes, falling asleep. Her head laid on Vision’s, and his laid on her shoulder. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a crack of lightning and she felt Vision jump awake beside her, looking up instantly. Wanda's eyes fluttered open for a second but she soon laid her head back down, yawning softly. The plane’s lights had been dimmed due to the late hour and Vision looked out of the windows anxiously. Despite the irony, he truly feared flying and Wanda smiled for a second. It was storming and another crack of lightning spurted through the sky. 

“Vis, it’s just some rain.” Wanda whispered with a small smile, curling her knees into her arms and resting her head on the peaks of her kneecaps. Her hair was waved due to her head pressing against the back of the cushion of the seat. She had taken her contacts out after they got through the security gate. The raindrops rattled against the glass of the window and she opened one of her eyes, looking at another crack of lightning sprouting a few miles away.  _ One, two, three, four, five.  _ There was a roaring of thunder and she shut her eyes again. “It’s a few miles away.” She reassured him, looking up at him and widening her eyes. “Vis!” Wanda whispered, picking up his hand and showing him that his artificial disguise had fallen away. 

Instantly he reinstated it and looked down at his hands, watching skin wrap around his fingers and palms. “It must have deactivated subconsciously while I was sleeping.” He spoke in a hushed tone, leaning back down against the seat and realizing the clouds were growing thinner and the blurred image of buildings beneath the stratosphere. 

“Oh, I thought you ‘ _ didn’t require sleep.’ _ ” She sleepily replied, softly mocking his accent and hearing his quiet chuckle. Wanda weakly picked her head up, mostly to make sure Steve was still there. When she saw his snoring, she laid her head back against the seat. 

“Yes, but I find it quite relaxing and pleasant.” He replied and she smiled. The dim lights of the plane were warm above them and she almost fell asleep again. A thin layer of jetlag coated her mind and she squinted her eyes, hearing the faint sound of her music blasting through her headphones. Wanda opened one of her eyes and pressed her finger against the switch of the player, turning it off. The muffled music cut off and she reached down for her bag, slipping the player into the case and zipping it closed. 

Vision peeked out of the window beside her and she squinted her eyes, looking at the buildings below. The darkness and rain outside blurred her ability to see the ground but she could make out buildings and skyscrapers. “Well, welcome to Europe.” She faked jazz hands with a soft smile and he laughed quietly, looking at her and then back towards the land. 

The plane slowly descended through the air and there was a small  _ bump  _ when the landing gear hit the pavement of the dark runway. Wanda shut her eyes again for a moment and then reached into her bag. She smiled and slipped a pair of fake glasses onto her eyes. “Do I look like Wanda Maximoff?” Wanda asked him with a smile and he laughed softly. Wanda placed the cap onto her head once again and tucked her hair into the fabric, making it look much shorter. 

She looked back out of the window as Vision awoke Steve, and she heard hushed conversation between them. People on the plane began to vacate though the three of them stayed behind, all of them keeping their heads down. Wanda was the most paranoid when Steve brought up the plan of leaving the country. 

_ ‘Okay, so let me get this right. You want to go into Immigration, where there are going to be federal agents that will absolutely recognize us?’  _ Wanda remembered her fear and she was too timid that she couldn’t even drive to the airport, Steve was the one who had to drive because her hands were too frigid and jumpy. She held trauma from being in the Raft for almost a month. It was two meals every other day and that straight jacket. That really wasn’t that bad, Wanda just could not function inside cells, not after Sokovia. It hurt too much. She used to be able to handle it, but that was when Pietro was alive. He was gone now. 

“Okay, let’s go.” Wanda whispered, following Vision out of the seats with Steve behind her. They crossed through the corridor into the foreign airport and she lowered her face, blocking her features with the cuff of her hat. There were hoards of people, which was a good thing. They didn’t stand out as much. But when Wanda looked, she realized there was heavier security by the checkpoint gates. “Steve.” Wanda nudged him, looking towards the security and realizing they were agents. _They knew we were coming._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much guys for reading! thanks for all the support, it's so nice to see <3 also, i have unironically become obsessed with agatha all along lmao, i'm listening to it now. anyway, there'll be an update in a day or two, coming off of school break so i might be a bit swamped for a day or two. anyway: have an amazing day (and week) and i'll see you guys in a bit!


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'They knew we were coming.'

Steve.” Wanda nudged him, looking towards the security and realizing they were agents. 

He turned around, looking at the lineup and cursing under his breath. “Shit… they must’ve guessed we were coming.” Steve whispered, running a hand through his hair with a tense face. Wanda swallowed and she looked into Steve’s eyes. She wished he had an answer and when she turned around, looking at the other exits, there were two guards on each of them.  _ ‘Wanda, they knew we were coming.’ Yes, I realize that.  _ She spoke to Pietro and they all went quiet for a moment, it seemed none of them had an answer. 

“Yes, so what do we do?” Wanda asked him, looking at Steve and Vision’s faces. They both stuttered for a moment, and Wanda felt a cold tingle down her nerves.  _ Vis will be fine.  _ She at least took solace in that and Wanda tipped her head down again when one of the men looked her way. They were all dressed in matching uniforms and Wanda realized they were probably FBI. After Steve had saved them from the confines of the Raft, the government had predatorized itself towards the remaining Avengers. Those who weren’t dead, and those who weren’t missing. 

Banner  _ and  _ Thor had vanished months ago and still was nowhere to be found. Stark and Rhodes were trying to function, but it felt like gluing the pieces of broken glass together. The Avengers were broken, and it was probably her fault. If she had never killed those people in Lagos, the world wouldn’t have turned its back on them. “Steve. They are coming this way.” Vision observed, looking at two of the men on the east side of the building marching towards the small group. “Steve.” 

Wanda turned around, nudging Vision and spotting another man with the matching uniform draped over his back. Wanda shut her eyes for a moment, prying her way into the man’s mind and hearing Steve’s name. A terror dawned in Wanda and she felt her hands trembling slightly. “They know who you are.” She croaked, trying to see any sort of resolve but there was no answer in Steve or Vision’s eyes. “Steve, they recognize us.” Wanda repeated and the captain grew silent. There was a yelling in the airport suddenly and Vision took her right hand, holding it with his own. 

“Shit… okay, heads down.” Steve ordered, taking her hand and then Wanda taking Vision’s. The crowds were swarming and even Steve almost fell over, but Wanda’s hand saved him from toppling over. Wanda kept her touch implanted into those agents’ heads and she heard her own name, along with Steve and Sam’s.  _ They still think we’re all together, then.  _ She realized and she kept her head down, relying on Steve to lead them through. 

They were approaching one of the exits, but there were two guards ahead. Wanda looked up and tugged Steve, stopping him before they approached the two agents. “They’ll see us.” Wanda hissed, tugging her hand from each of them and placing her hands in the pockets of her jacket, or Vision’s jacket, really. Steve looked at another entrance far away, but it was crowded with even more people. They were trapped. 

Vision was quiet and it was like she could hear his thoughts stuttering. Steve always had an answer but right now, he was silent. “I…” Steve’s sentence died on his lips and Wanda looked down when she saw two of the men walking towards the three of them.  _ Oh, we are so done.  _ Wanda thought desperately and she looked to the captain, but he was quiet and frozen like a skeleton. 

“Steve! Where do we go?” She demanded, shaking him slightly. Vision took Wanda’s hand and squeezed it. Even though there were no words spoken, she felt comfort. “Vis?” Wanda asked and he too was physically stuttering, looking around them for anyway out. 

“Perhaps we could break the glass.” He whispered, but it wasn’t a sensible thought, just a slip of an idea to try and settle both Wanda and himself. She shut her eyes, sticking her head above the crowd and seeing that they had placed a pair of guards at every escape, and had guarded any concept of escape. Suddenly, someone from the monstrous crowd swept Wanda away from Vision and Steve and she was spun around, losing the captain and the android from her sight and her hand was torn away from Vision’s.

Wanda suddenly had a swarming feeling of claustrophobia in the large crowds and she tried to raise her head over the crowds, but she was only around five and a half feet tall, and was much too short to see Vision or Steve.  _ ‘This isn’t good.’ Pietro, please. Quiet, for one second, I beg you.  _ She shut her brother’s voice out of her head and Wanda called Vision’s name again but she heard nothing but the bustling of the crowds. 

There was a sudden clamor a few yards away and she saw Steve being pushed against the ground. She recognized his aggressors as two of the men from before. They all wore matching uniforms and Wanda squinted her eyes, trying to push her way through the people that were forming around them. Wanda called Steve’s name but she doubted he heard her above all of the yelling and the general noises of the busy building. Just as her irises shifted a shade of red, someone grabbed her next and she spun around, seeing one of the agents pushing her to the ground roughly. Wanda yelped and soon, the man was tying her wrists with some sort of metallic cuffs and she grunted, trying to break away from him but his natural strength greatly outweighed the young woman’s. 

But suddenly, the weight on her -mostly due to the agent nearly sitting on her- disappeared and she looked up, seeing Vision. “Vis.” Wanda whispered and he took her hand, gently pulling her up and looking around. But suddenly, he started moving them towards the exit and away from where Steve was being carted away. They were taking the captain towards the northern exit, but Vision was taking them in the exact opposite direction. Conveniently, Steve being caught had pushed all of the guards towards him and away from the main door. “Vis, we can’t leave him!” 

“We cannot do any good right now, we will come back after we have collected ourselves.” He spoke and Wanda tried to fight again and he released her hand, looking at her with a desperate expression. “Wanda, I promise you, we will come back.” He swore with a straight voice and a serious connection was caught between their gaze. Wanda was still for a moment and she sighed, looking back at the horde around Steve and shutting her eyelids. 

_It’s a smarter decision._ “Fine.” Wanda whispered, feeling a rush of cold travel up her nerves. She felt guilt pour down on her as Vision led them out of the busy building. His hand held hers and Wanda brushed his thumb, looking back and seeing Steve’s face through the ocean of people. He looked accepting of it, like he was fine with sacrificing his own freedom for Wanda and Vision’s.   
Finally, the fresh air slapped both of them like a striking and both of their faces flushed with relief. “We shouldn’t have done that.” Wanda whispered, looking back towards the busy parking lot and building, but Vision was leading her away. “We should’ve stayed.” 

“There was nothing we could have done. They would have caught us.” Vision looked back at her and she released her hat, letting her hair fall from the cap and block her identity. Her eyes were a dull scarlet and slowly, they were replaced with the familiar hazel shade of her irises. “We will come back.” He assured her, looking into her eyes once more and catching her eyes. “But I am not going to risk them shooting you.” Wanda quieted and she nodded somberly, breaking her gaze from the airport and walking close to him, releasing his hand. 

“... okay.” 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was still drizzling slightly and they had no idea where they were, they just knew they were somewhere in Scotland. That was where the plane had landed, and they had been wandering around the thick city for a few hours. After visiting Clint’s farm, they had a fair amount of money, and they just needed a place to stay. 

Wanda felt guilty for the fact that she actually smiled at Vision’s silly jokes and at his attempts to cheer her up. They simply wandered the streets of the city, and it was almost like being in Europe again thickened Wanda’s accent, and Vision teased her for it, but it made her smile. They had gotten new clothes. “Had you ever gone out before all of this?” Wanda asked him, taking a french fry from the compartment of food and crushing it between her teeth. 

“No, I actually hadn’t.”   
“Oh, we have to do a world tour now, Vis.” She joked and he smiled wide, watching her look around at the enormous skyscrapers of the populated city. The streets were made of laid bricks and she found the streets were much cleaner than America. The air smelled cleaner and there was a more free feeling to the streets. Wanda sneezed into her sleeve and Vision smiled. Whenever she sneezed, her nose would scrunch up and her eyelashes would tickle her own cheeks. 

Both of their cheeks were rosie from the cold and Wanda surfaced from her sneeze, her hat slightly tilted. She adjusted it and smiled, looking down at the ground. “Perhaps we should find somewhere to stay for the night. Your vital signs show that you are cold.” Vision spoke and Wanda looked into his eyes, seeing the reflection of the stars in his glassy eyes. 

The streets were dead, so Vision had taken his disguise from his face. She liked seeing his real face, it was him, and not some fake face Stark had engineered for Vision to fabricate. It was him. It all happened so quickly, and they were both so shy and that it was moving so fast and so slow at the same time. Neither of them cared. They wanted each other’s presence and nothing else. “Alright.” Wanda agreed with a small smile and she pulled her sleeves to her wrists, sealing herself from the foriegn mist and drizzle. 

Slowly, Vision was learning to depend on her, and she was learning to depend on him. Together, they were learning how to care about people once again. Wanda had been hurt so many times, too many times… and Vision had never had someone he truly cared about. His physical body was still so young, even if he had a mature mind and his mental age matched hers, or even exceeded hers. “Wanda?” 

She looked to him in acknowledgment and batted her eyelashes, eating another frenchfry. “I enjoy your presence.” Wanda smiled warmly and she didn’t respond, but her expression was warm and momentarily happy. “Perhaps you didn’t hear me: I can adjust my audio level, though it is currently at a comfortable level-” 

“No, no. I heard you. I ‘enjoy your presence, too, Vis…’ and I’m glad you're comfortable.” Wanda responded and she reached towards the door of what appeared to be a hotel. It had a sleek and modest look and she opened the glass door, letting him walk in. “After you.” Wanda smiled, tossing the empty food container into a garbage beside the door. 

It smelled  _ clean.  _ It smelled so much nicer than any of the motels they had been imprisoned in for months. They were always on the run, even when it seemed safe. Steve made sure they only stayed in one place for a few days at a time, and they always used aliases and hid their faces. Wanda walked forward towards the front desk and asked for a singular room, which the lady behind the desk granted and Wanda handed her a currency of money. Vision watched her speak and followed her into the elevator. “Do you want to ask for another room?” Wanda asked him, watching him carefully with a hesitant expression.

Vision looked into her eyes and it was clear how awkward both of them were. They had been staying in the same room for a few weeks, mostly after she had been injured But most of the time, there were two beds, or they weren’t both sleeping. “If you’re comfortable… I’m comfortable.” Wanda answered quietly and she looked into his eyes, seeing his own pupils glance at her. 

“I am comfortable. I just do not wish to make you uncomfortable.” Wanda smiled at his respectful and patient nature and she shook her head, denying the idea. He made her feel safe. Vision had saved her so many times, and she had rescued him multiple occasions as well. 

“I trust you.” 

“... and I trust you.” Vision replied and suddenly, the elevator dinged and they had arrived at the second floor. Wanda smiled at the quiet, intimate moment and she then slipped out of the lift, walking down the hall and reading the numbers of the doors to herself. She found the entrance that matched the number of the key and Wanda cranked the key into the hole, twisting it and opening the door. 

Both of them were exhausted and there was a large window wall that had the imprints of the rain against it. Vision sat down on the edge of the bed and watched as Wanda carried her small bag into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. This was new, he had never felt this before. This… this care for someone. He was so awkward, but so was she. Neither of them knew how to care for people. Wanda had been hurt so many times that she was scared, and Vision simply never had before. He heard the rush of water that came with a shower from beyond the door and allowed himself to take a breath. 

They almost were caught, and something new came over him in that airport. He remembered carrying Wanda’s limp body after she had been shot and he just knew that he had to get both of them out. Steve could handle himself, he knew that… and they would go back for him. Not only was there the fear of either of them being injured, but he saw from a first person account how quiet and reserved she had been after they escaped the Raft. Vision promised to protect her… and he wanted, needed, to keep that promise… not just for her. 

The chances of the government finding the small pair had lowered significantly now that they were no longer in the U.S. The Accords  _ did  _ employ the use of the United Nations, but it was unlikely that the want to capture Wanda and Vision would survive for much longer. The flame was being carried out, and people no longer wanted to think of the Avengers as war criminals or fugitives… the world wanted to think of them as heroes, even if it wasn’t true.

Vision didn’t know what was conspiring between Wanda and him, and he didn’t think she did either. There was simply a concept both of them had been taught: both of them cared about each other… and that was enough. Their being together was enough. Vision didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable. He wanted her to feel safe with him, and he wanted her to be happy with him. He looked to the vacant side of the bed beside him and he took a few free pillows that were laid at the foot of the bed. 

He assembled a wall between the two sides and laid the blanket equally on either side.  _ He wanted her to be comfortable.  _ They both trusted each other, and he saw that as something to defend. He saw her trust as a privilege that he wouldn’t take for granted and so, he assembled the fort-like wall of pillows and when he was finished, he stood before it with a proud expression. The water cut in the bathroom and Wanda stepped out of the shower, holding a lavender towel across her body and searching in her bag for clothing. 

She took her undergarments and pajama pants from the bag and dressed herself, however she hadn’t fetched a shirt from her bag. Wanda gently laid her towel down and placed it on the granite countertop of the bathroom. It was a modern looking hotel, and was surprisingly cheap for the cleanliness and beauty of the flat. Wanda tied her hair back into a braid behind her head and felt a small drip of water run from the wet hair. 

Wanda looked in her bag again and she felt panic run through her. Her shirts must have slipped out on the plane, or maybe she had misplaced them before that. She ran her hands through her hair and muffled her own sigh of disappointment with the palm of her hand.  _ I am an idiot.  _ Wanda thought to herself, squeezing her fists together and feeling a shyness rise in her. Even though Vision and her had kissed, they hadn’t really named anything going on between them. They knew they were not a platonic relationship, but they didn’t know what other word could be used to describe them. But still… she suddenly felt timid. 

Her feet carried her to the edge of the room and she shut her eyes, knocking against the wood. “Hey… Vis?” Wanda called from the room and she heard a shuffle on the other side of the doorway. Wanda held her head in humiliation as she uttered her next sentence. “I, um… I can’t find my shirt can I… can I borrow something?” She asked in an anxious voice, scratching her nose with her fingernail and shaking her head to herself. 

“Of course, let me get my bag.” Vision answered and she smiled to herself. He was so patient, and he made her feel so comfortable and safe. Wanda would have thought that was impossible months ago, especially after Pietro’s death.  _ ‘The popsicle is growing on me.’  _ Pietro whispered in her mind and she grinned. Even if he was a ghost, he sounded like her brother and that gave Wanda closure.

Wanda was dressed in both fashions of undergarments and loose pajama pants, but she must have forgotten to pack her shirts. He knocked on the door and Wanda opened it a crack and took the shirt he had passed through. “Thank you!” She squeaked and she shut the door, clasping the fabric in her hands with rosie, blushed cheeks. She looked down and she realized it was one of his favorite sweaters. The cloth was cotton, and a rich navy blue. 

She fit both of her arms through the sleeves and then pulled the torso of the sweater over her head. It smelled like him. Wanda hadn’t realized he had a distinct smell to her, but apparently she did. After dressing, Wanda took a moment and looked at herself in the brightly lit mirror, seeing her flushed cheeks and trying to wipe the pink shade away. 

Wanda looked back to the bathroom, realizing Vision would most likely shower after her and she neatly folded the towels and cleaned the room, making herself look like some sort of clean angel.  _ ‘Wow. I’m going to vomit.’  _ Pietro teased her and she rolled her eyes, wishing sometimes the dead stayed silent. Finally, she surfaced from the room and looked at the bed, smiling at the pillow wall Vision had made. “I didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, so…” 

“That’s very sweet… thank you.” Wanda grinned and Vision seemed to smile at her pleasure with his gesture. “Oh, and thanks for the…” Wanda trailed off and Vision nodded, smiling again and taking his own towel and suitcase into the bathroom. His small smile remained until he shut the door and he was out of sight. Wanda sighed, shutting her eyes and laying her laundry down in the front pocket of her backpack, zipping it closed. 

The rain gently tickled the glass of the glass wall to the left of the bed and Wanda sat on the left side of the pillow wall Vision had created. She fingered the sleeves of the sweater and rubbed the fabric gently. Wanda looked out at the Scottish streets and watched pedestrians walk by in the streets below. Wanda considered turning on the news for a moment but she then realized that it would be littered with Steve’s name, and her own face. Still, Wanda realized it was most likely a good idea to learn what she could. 

Her finger rubbed the power button of the remote and the screen flickered on, showing Steve and Clint’s face as she had hypothesized. The reporter had thin blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, and she stood before a backdrop that showed the scene that had transpired at the airport hours ago. Wanda saw herself being tackled to the ground by that man and the video cut. She was at least grateful that no one had caught the image of Vision’s artificial skin. Having him be unrecognizable was useful for everyday things; going grocery shopping, going to the dry-cleaners, things like that. 

Wanda heard the rush of water from inside the bathroom and she shut her eyes, taking a deep inhale and letting herself simmer in a peaceful moment. A moment where she could breathe. But when she tried to take that moment she realized she didn’t need it. When she tried to give herself a break, Wanda realized the night wandering the city with Vision had been well enough. Wanda slipped her body underneath the comfortable sheets of the bed and it was like laying on a cloud. 

It had been so long since they had lived in a favorable hotel, and this one changed it. A flimsy smile curled on her lips and she leaned against the soft pillow, releasing a satisfied exhale. Her eyelashes descended closed for a second and Wanda felt like suddenly, for the first time since Germany, things felt like they paused for a second and she was able to live instead of surviving, maybe it was only for one night, though. 

The water rush finally cut off in the bathroom and she could hear the shower door’s  _ creak  _ that sounded whenever it was opened. Wanda leaned over under the blankets of the bed and gazed outside of the steamed, rainy window as the weight of her long, doe-styled eyelashes grew. The door from the bathroom opened and in the reflection she could see Vision’s artificial skin painting over him once again. His hair hung with water and he brushed his fingers through it, expelling the excess droplets of water from the comb-over. 

It looked as if he was going to say something but he saw Wanda’s near asleep state from his height and quieted. She heard his footsteps and soon the mattress of the bed sunk down for a moment with his weight. He slowly lowered himself under the blankets, still cut off by the small pillow border he had created between either halves of the bed.  _ He did not want her to feel uncomfortable.  _

It was quiet, aside from the soft noise of the television. Wanda heard Vision flipping through the channels and at one, she adjusted her eyes from the window and looked to the screen.  _ “Wow - some honeymoon!”  _ The television’s speakers were tickled with the sound of a laugh track and Wanda smiled, sitting so that she could see the television better. Vision looked at her but then moved his eyes back to the monitor as she had. 

_ “... A girl with your advantages and bringing up… You were eighteen before you were allowed to stay out after sunrise… bringing scandal to a fine family name by marrying a normal human being.”  _ The television laughed again and Wanda smiled fondly. It was like she could hear ‘Pietro’ smiling in her head and her lips curled upwards. She loved this show when she was a child, she would watch it everyday.  _ “Do you realize the danger you're in? If you live like one of them for a year..without practicing your trade...you become one of them.”  _

Wanda remembered her brother and her being able to quote every single line of the show. Any episode she could quote and watching it once again was like dusting off an old book. Her eyes were only around halfway open and she still leaned to the left slightly, but there was an unmistakable smile on her face that exposed the tips of her teeth. “ _ Exactly...I want nothing more than to be married, be a good housewife and a helpmate to the man I love.”  _

The woman on-screen batted her eyelashes and the thick layer of her eyeliner beautifully framed her colorless eyes. The sitcom was old, so it was colored in a greyscale. Still, even through the filter, Wanda could see the beauty of the actress. She had grown with this and she remembered dressing with Pietro as two of the main characters of some of their favorite sitcoms for many years. One year, her brother had even dressed as Nick Fury and she had dressed as the Black Widow. Wanda had shown Natasha the photo once and the older woman never let her live it down. Still, it made Natasha laugh like she never had before and that made Wanda feel a little better. 

_ “To think I would ever hear my own daughter say a thing like that!”  _ The mother scoffed onscreen and Wanda smiled, though her tire was growing and her eyelashes fluttered shut for a moment, but they soon opened once again when she heard the familiar laugh track.  _ “You are a baby. You've barely learned to fly!”  _ The voice rang in her head and finally, Wanda’s eyelids remained closed and she heard a final play of laughter before her vision was subdued to darkness. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was… whispering. There was whispering and then there was a soft inhale and Wanda squinted her eyes, furrowing her eyebrows. First she thought someone else was in the room and her eyes shot open with a scarlet glow. Wanda sat up, looking around and holding her hands in her chest, but no one was there. She looked over the small pillow border Vision had fabricated and she looked over, seeing that his disguise had fallen away. 

The gem implanted in his head was glowing with a fury and it illuminated her face.  _ Vis?  _ Wanda thought, hearing murmurs under his breath and realizing: he was having a nightmare. She hadn’t even known that was possible and Wanda frowned, sitting and kneeling on the backs of her heels. Wanda pressed her index finger against Vision’s temple and instantly, she heard the murmurs of Ultron in his head. He was afraid of being a monster… like Ultron; like her. Wanda felt pain and empathy run through her when she thought of such a thing and she sighed softly, sitting beside him. 

Wanda shut her eyes, taking a small scrap of hope and happiness from her own mind and translating it through her touch, pushing it into his head. His impression softed and the whispering under his breath ceased. Wanda held his cheek gently and finally, she left him to sleep. The soft hum of the television still played in a lower volume in the background. _ “Well, while I'm in the groove, _

_ let me whip up something for you.”  _ She heard the fuzzy audio fill the room and she lowered the volume by a decibel with the plastic remote that laid beside Vision’s sleeping body.

_ “As long as it's a family affair, do you suppose Aunt Clara could come too?”  _ Vision’s breathing rate had returned to normal and Wanda smiled when she now read peace and happiness in his mind instead of screams and explosions as she had earlier. It still was drizzling gently and the rain provided a gentle pattern against the glass. The hints of dawn began to etch at the city’s skyline and Wanda gently stood, the blankets falling away from her body. 

The cold nipped at her bare legs, -as she only wore shorts- and Wanda huddled her arms to her chest, warming herself up. The thin carpet of the room tickled the bottoms of her feet and Wanda felt a small tickle run up her spine. There was a thin layer of jetlag in her sinuses and Wanda pressed her fingers to her temples, soothing the ache from the skin.  _ “This is just the chance we've _

_ been looking for to show you off!”  _ The television cheered in her ear and she yawned gently. 

Vision’s peaceful breaths repeated in her mind like a heartbeat and the murmurs of familiar names that had been transpiring seconds ago vanished. Wanda walked back to her messenger bag and she dug through the pockets, fetching the burner phone that Clint had given her so long ago. He probably would have seen the news.  _ He’ll want to know we’re okay.  _ Wanda thought, taking it and quietly walking into the bathroom, noiselessly shutting the door and sitting on the cover of the toilet seat with her knees bunched in her arms. 

She opened the small flip phone and pressed the arrows on the small screen, hovering over Clint’s number and hesitating for a second. Finally, she pressed the small ✔on the corner of the phone and heard the dial tone. There was a small melodic tone and Wanda waited patiently, pressing the device to her ear. 

The small phone waited for a few beeps before there was the _crackle_ of the other side being answered. _‘Wanda? Jesus Christ, where are you? I’ve been watching this for an hour, where’s Steve?’_ His voice poured through the phone and she almost smiled at how warming his worry was. “I’m fine. We’re fine.” Wanda whispered softly, her voice barely audible. But, the phone was close enough to her lips so that it picked up her voice. “Me and Vis are in Scotland… I don’t know if they shipped Steve back yet.” Wanda murmured, feeling another path of guilt travel up her arteries and pump through her blood.   
However, Vision swore to her that they would find a way to get Steve out, and she believed him. It was hard not to. _‘Okay. Are you safe?’_ Clint asked and she nodded, but then realized he couldn’t see her and whispered a small _‘yes.’_ Wanda didn’t really know why she had called him, she just wanted him to know they were safe. She cared about Clint, and it almost seemed like he cared about her. The rain still danced against the glass and Wanda sighed, shutting her eyes and keeping the phone to her cheek. “Is Sam doing okay?” She asked, feeling guilty for leaving Sam with Barton.

He didn’t want to leave the U.S. Something kept him there. It was familiar, she had met the same bond when she first left Sokovia after Pietro’s demise.  _ ‘Yeah, we’re all fine. Still no noise over here.’  _ There was a silence and they both knew the question they wanted to ask each other.  _ ‘Are you… going to go after Cap?’ _

“I don’t know… yeah. Yes.” Wanda answered and she listened for any stirring in the other room, but it was quiet. She didn’t wish to wake Vision, they were both so exhausted and tired… and scared. It was much too close of a call at the airport, and if Vision hadn’t found Wanda in the crowd she would be in the same position Steve was. There were still slight imprints in her wrists from where the tight, metallic handcuffs had been. 

_ ‘Be careful, kid. Okay?’  _ “Okay.” Wanda whispered and she sighed, looking down at her nails and feeling her tire grow in the very early hour. “... night, Clint.” Wanda murmured softly and she smiled when he uttered the same thing in her ear.  _ ‘Stay safe, kid.’ _ Slowly, she pulled the phone away from her cheek and pulled each half of the phone from the other, destroying the phone and its signal. They couldn’t be caught, not if they intended to help the captain. 

She pulled the wrists of Vision’s sweater around her to her fingers. Wanda felt warm in it, even if the arms were large on her, since she was smaller and shorter than Vision. It was silent and the only noise was the muffled laughter track of the television through the wall. Wanda stood up and tossed the broken phone in the trash bin that was sat beside the bathtub. She shut the lights of the bathroom and quietly opened the door, moving back into the main room where Vision still slept. 

Wanda smiled when she heard gentle snores and she moved back to the left side of the pillow wall. She lifted the comforters and slipped underneath the comfortable blankets, feeling a fuzzy warmth crawl up the cold skin of her legs. Her eyes settled on the television once again and she hugged her pillow, resting sleepily on it.  _ “They know their limitations better than we do!”  _ The woman on-screen laughed and Wanda smiled, imagining a younger version of herself and Pietro sitting on the foot of the bed, watching the show intently. 

_ “Well, I don't think of Darrin as being merely human. I think of him as being a cut above the ordinary mortal man…”  _ Wanda laid her head on the pillow wall and her eyelashes slowly danced closed for a final time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks everyone for reading! i was kinda unsure where exactly i should cut this off, so it was kind of a long chapter, hope you guys don't mind :3 have an amazing week, i'll see you guys with an update during the weekend <3 also btw, just in case you didn't know, agatha all along belongs in the top charts, it's a fact. <3


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve is gone.

Day had been birthed from the ashes of night and the rain had ceased, but now drops of dew danced on the thin glass of the window. Both of them remained still in the bed and the pillow wall that had been constructed hours ago slumped over on both of them. One half laid on Wanda’s lower half and the other on Vision’s. The sun was high in the sky and they were both slumbering besides each other. 

However, Vision slowly began to stir and he blinked once, his eyes shutting for a few moments after. They opened once again and the blur of his vision fell away after a couple of seconds. Wanda’s shallow breaths echoed through the room and he could feel the slightest trace of her exhale reflecting against his body. His golden hair was messed before his eyes and he lifted his arm, brushing it away with the tips of his fingers.   
There were songbirds outside and he sat up in the bed, looking beside him. The pillow border had fallen away and Wanda’s head rested on the tip of his pillow with her face softly illuminated in the light that poured through the rain clouds. Her hair pulled over her features and there were flecks of gold under the sun. Vision stilled, not wanting to wake her. He balanced himself and slowly stood from the mattress so that it did not rise all at once, effectively disrupting her sleep. 

The television had shifted channels somewhere through the night and the news reflected through the room. He gently slipped the remote out of her palm and changed the channel until he had located the show that played the previous night. Wanda had seemed to like it, so he turned it back on, wishing to make her feel comfortable. There was a small kitchen in the fairly large room and Vision stood, looking out the windows of the room towards the streets below. 

Life had already begun to spring in the early hours. It was most likely seven or eight in the morning and there were dozens of pedestrians on each street in the busy city. That was good: it would help them blend in. Vision turned around, fixing his messed hair and brushing the wrinkles from his clothing. He was dressed in dark black pajama pants and a long gray sweater with an undershirt beneath the cloth. It wrinkled as he bent down and looked into one of the metallic cupboards, quietly -as silently as he could- taking a flat, small skillet from the storage and placing it on the metal stove-top. 

He looked in the mini-fridge and found a small container of butter and a carton of eggs strewn in the fridge. Tossed at the edge was a bag of bread that looked fine to eat and he took all three, supposing there was nothing better to cook within the room without having to leave Wanda to find something else. It wasn’t safe to be split apart when there were most likely still traces of american government in the large, populated city. He unwrapped the bar of butter and glossed the skillet in it, then tossed it back in the fridge after he had contained it once again. 

After he cracked the shells of a few eggs and spilled them into the pan, they hissed against the hot metal and began to erupt into warmth. Vision teased them with a wooden spatula and watched them slowly cook. Technically, he didn’t need to eat food and he wasn’t really supposed to. But, he thought it would be a nice gesture and he enjoyed seeing Wanda’s smile. After she had been in such an emotional pit after her brother’s death, it was comforting to see her smile now. 

But slowly, his hearing tuned back in and he turned around, hearing the mumble of the news whisper through the room once again. Vision recognized the monotone voice the reporters always spoke in when they discussed the team of heroes and he squinted his eyes, watching the screen. He saw the main headline.  _ “Steve Rogers, known as Captain America is now a fugitive escapee after the infamous Lagos tragedy where mutant, Wanda Maximoff, was responsible for the deaths of nineteen civilians. Late last night, the former Avenger was caught on-”  _ Vision tuned the speech out of his head and he leaned against the cabinet, his eyes wide. 

Vision physically stuttered, quickly making his way towards the bed and taking Wanda’s hand, shaking her gently. “Wanda.” He whispered, shaking her again and slowly, she screwed her eyes shut, tightening her features. “Wanda.” He repeated and Wanda cracked her eyes open, looking up at him. “Look.” He pointed towards the television and she rose her head slowly, listening to the same channel and seeing a picture of Steve on the television. 

The sleep from her eyes left and she sat up, her expression slowly. “Someone must have come for him.” Vision thought, sitting beside her and watching the news and still hearing the soft  _ pitter patter  _ of the drizzle against the glass. The tire in her features instantly ran from her and she reached for the remote, raising the volume of the television and listening to it intently. 

“Maybe Sam went for him.” She whispered, holding the blankets on her knees and watching the media intently but suddenly, there was an odd smell through the room and she squinted her eyes. Wanda turned her head and she smiled, looking up to Vis. “Vis.” Wanda whispered, gesturing to the stove and seeing small flumes of steam and smoke run from the stove. She wore a beam and Vision turned around, whispering an expression under his breath and quickly trotting towards the stove. 

“Damn it.” He murmured, lowering the flame of the stove and almost being able to hear Wanda’s smile from across the room. He used the spatula and spooned the eggs away from the metal skillet and they looked somewhat edible. 

“We really should stop leaving you alone with stoves.” Wanda beamed and she heard Vision chuckle. She slowly stood and itched the carpet with her toes, embedding her skin in the fabric. Her feet pattered against the flooring as she walked behind Vision and looked towards the eggs. Her lips curled up into a smile and Wanda took a fork from the granite countertop, spooning a small portion of the food into her mouth and sensing Vision’s nervous expression. It was a sweet gesture and she looked up at him, shrugging. “It isn’t that bad.” Wanda smiled swallowing and placing the fork down. 

Vision seemed to lighten at the comment and he grinned. “Alright, well the good news is, at least we know I should not be trusted with fire.” Wanda laughed softly and she turned back around, leaning against the cupboards and looking up at him. It was silent for a moment and they simply looked into each other’s eyes, sharing a million words in their gaze. “I figured I should thank you… for last night.” Vision spoke, standing beside her and both of them looked out of the glass wall towards the busy city. 

Wanda realized she was referring to her soothing his nightmare and she looked up towards him once again. Vision was quiet for a moment and he looked out towards the urban streets, sighing. “I was built to best Ultron. I was built to be a machine… I was built to  _ be  _ Ultron.” He spoke in a softer tone than was precedent for his usually bubbly personality and Wanda glanced over him. “I fear I will be.” 

“You aren’t him.” They both held a fear of Ultron, and also an anger towards him. That monster had taken Pietro from Wanda and had tried to rob Vision of his own flesh. If Ultron were to have his way, she would be laying beside her brother in a destroyed world. Ultron was never evil… not in the synthezoid’s mind. He was someone hurting, not dissimilar from Wanda in one lens. He had lost something: his right to freedom. He was meant to be a suit of armor around the world: not dissimilar from Vision. “Ultron was a murderer. You are a hero. If you do not believe it let me say it for you, then.” 

Vision met Wanda’s eyes and she held the gaze, daring him to object the idea. He was an Avenger, and he had saved her life. “Thank you.” He repeated it and she heard a desperate love in the words and she smiled, dipping her head and looking down towards the carpet. There was a comfortable silence that lingered over them and Wanda cleared her throat, looking at the television. 

“We should probably call Clint, see if anyone has heard from Steve.” Wanda spoke and she walked towards the left side of the bed, digging through her bag and finding her wallet. “There must be a payphone somewhere here.” She murmured, counting change and placing it on the comforter beside her. Her hands slipped warm socks onto her bare feet and the fabric itched against her skin. 

Wanda pushed her boots onto her feet and she stood, tossing her backpack over her shoulder and adjusting the straps around her arms. Their eyes met and she smiled for a second at him, but she broke the look and fingered the change in her palm, walking towards the door. “I’m gonna go look, I’ll be right back.” Wanda looked into his eyes with a natural smile that always seemed to settle on her face. It had become a feature that was just there, and that was not precedent in her life. 

Wanda looked at either side of the hallway, searching for anyone and it seemed to be empty, which she considered a blessing. There was a phone attached to the wall and her eyes set ablaze for a moment. Her boots clicked against the hard material of the flooring as she walked closer to the phone. It was coated in little drawings made of marker, or stickers that someone had made themselves. It almost looked like a piece of art and she found that so interesting. Wanda took a small card from her pocket, and it contained important numbers. Maybe Barton’s, Scott’s, or even Natasha’s phone number. A ‘911’ list. 

Wanda hesitated for a moment and she read the list, shutting her eyes and taking a single quarter from her pocket, pushing it through the slip beneath the number keys. Her fingers pressed against the shiny black keys and they emitted a small  _ click  _ with each push of her fingertip. Her hand took the phone from the wall and the metal coil hung from the base. There was the hum of the dial tone and after she punched in the final number, it began to ring. She leaned against the wall and her head hugged the off-white tone. “Hello?” 

“Sam. Did you see the news?” Wanda asked, keeping her voice a low tone and impatient waiting for him to answer, but there was silence for a second and she heard the ruffles of a car, and then a second of laughter. Wanda squinted her eyes, tilting her head and picking at one of the drawings on the phone with her nail. “Sam?” She requested and the chuckles coming through the other side cut off. Wanda could not hear much through the telephone but for a moment, she heard a sentence she couldn’t make out. “Sam.” 

He cleared his throat and the slight echoes of breath came through the phone. “Yeah, sorry. Saw the news-” He was cut off for a moment and Wanda heard another male voice through the phone and she tried to compare it to Barton’s, but she couldn’t recognize any of the tones. 

“Sam. Where are you?” Wanda demanded and there was more scuffling and finally, her head clicked. “You got him out, didn’t you?” Wanda gawked and all at once, she could recognize the male voice on the other side. It was Steve’s laughter and she could hear fragments of his tone of voice through the poor quality of the telephone’s microphone.

Sam’s voice returned in her ear and she listened to a conversation between Steve and Sam, and the captain greeted Wanda through the phone. They almost seemed to be… drunk. Their speech was slurred and Wanda’s eyebrows furrowed together. “Maybe, I dunno.” Sam replied and Wanda leaned her forehead against the wall, shaking her head. However, Wanda could not deny the soft smile that spread across her lips. 

“Where are you? We can get to you, or you can come to us.” Wanda stated but suddenly, the noises on the other side of the phone whirled and in a second, it was absolutely silent. “Sam?” She asked, pulling the phone away from her cheek and looking down at it, but then returned it to her temple and called his name once more. “Hello?” Wanda murmured softly, but the line had gone dead. Something in the phone stopped functioning and she sighed, gently placing the phone in its holder and standing on her two feet.

They were stranded in Scotland, but maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing… maybe it was better, just the two of them. It was easier to manage than a large group, and they both enjoyed each other’s company, and whatever was conspiring between them. However, she held her bag in her right hand and stood, walking back towards the room slowly. Wanda pressed the key into the lock and twisted it open, seeing Vision’s eyes tracking the television. “Sam’s loyalty proceeds him. He broke Steve out.” 

“That equates.” Vision shrugged, shutting the television off and slipping his coat on. He wore his disguise, but the picture of the Mind stone embedded in his head provided a small glow. The rain had stopped and flurries -dustings, really- of snow had been dancing through the sky. “I was thinking perhaps we could explore the city, and try and figure out where it is exactly we are.” Wanda nodded and she took her bag and slung it onto her arm. 

“Alright.” Wanda smiled softly. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had shifted to night once again and though it was dark, the streets were still alive, but it was different. No one was looking at the pair, and they actually had a normal few hours, which was so odd and misplaced in both of their lives. They were just sitting at a small picnic table beside a restaurant that had an aroma of pizza and fresh bread. 

“Sam said they’re gonna try and get out of the border again.” Wanda spoke and she covered her mouth with her hand when she chewed the small screws of pasta that laid in her plate. Vision hadn’t eaten anything and she almost pitied that, not being able to taste. It was a human privilege and Wanda took another small bite of her macaroni, tasting the watery yet voluminous sauce that littered the meal. 

It was cold, and the cold bit at both of them. She had covered her bare face with a scarf and it tickled the bottom of her chin. She looked up to Vision and he seemed to be deep in thought. Wanda smiled softly and she nudged his hand that laid across from her and saw him look up. “You in there?” She joked and Vision smiled, nodding. However, the same, fulfilled expression returned in his features and Wanda nudged him again. “Vis. What’s up?” Wanda asked him softly and he looked into her eyes then down to the papers that were assembled on the table. 

They were trying to find some way to reunite with Sam and Steve, Steve had decided for them that it was a safer decision. “What…” Vision took a breath before continuing his sentence and he laid his head on his hand, looking into Wanda’s welcoming eyes. “What if we didn’t return?” He asked her and she looked into his eyes for a moment, seeing the uncertainty yet passion in his eyes. 

“What do you mean?” Wanda asked him in a gentle voice and she watched him break the gaze, looking around at the city they had found themselves in. There was  _ life  _ here, there were young families bustling around the streets and there were smiles on people’s faces. It was such a contradiction of the lonely, secluded life both of them had started after becoming fugitives. 

“Wanda. I  _ enjoy  _ being here with you. This was pleasant.” Vision spoke, referring to the night and Wanda’s lips curled up in a smile as she watched him speak. He seemed passionate. Vision seemed  _ human.  _ He had a smile on his lips and his cheeks were rosy due to the slight cold. Vision wore a dark coat and as he spoke, his fingernails picked at the wire terrain of the table. Wanda nodded, agreeing with him and blowing hot breath into her hands, splashing it back in her face and warming herself. 

He stopped for a moment and he looked into her eyes, a ray of his golden hair falling in between his eyes. They had talked about what was mixing between them, and they hadn’t. They simply both knew they cared about each other. “I want to give this a chance, to see if… if this works. Here. Us.” Vision asked her and the android met her eyes, and he studied each fleck of light in her irises. Under the lights above the table, there were reflections in her pupils and she shifted her vision down to the papers and then back to him. His fingers picked at each other nervously and she thought it was sweet how much he seemed to care about her comfort. “You, we are safe here, and…” He blubbered over his words for a second and Wanda smiled softly, taking his hand and stopping him. He looked up to her with a nervous simper. “I apologize… I trip over my words.” 

“If you want to stay, we’ll stay. I trust you.” Wanda agreed in a soft, gentle voice, and his hand finally felt full in hers. Vision’s lips curled upwards and he nodded, clearing his throat from his timidness and looking down at the papers. “Okay?” She asked him softly and he nodded, clearing the flush from his face and gently taking his hand from Wanda’s to brush his hair out of his face.   
There was an unspoken happiness between them in the air and both of them wore shy smiles on their expressions. Wanda shut the empty case of her food and shuffled the papers that laid on the table, slipping both into the trash can that laid beside the table. He cleared his throat once again and nodded, looking up with a truly happy expression. “Thank you.” He murmured and there was a light in her eyes that had not been there prior. She seemed happy that there would be a chance that they could be… what? What was the label? 

The only ‘romance’ she had even known originated from the shows and sitcoms she watched when she was a child. That was what she had settled her idea of a proper relationship on and Vision seemed so pleasant and seemed to care so much about her. “For what?” She asked, sitting beside him and he carefully placed his arm around her, and that had provided warmth to both of their chilled bodies in a blush. 

“For staying with me.” He answered and Wanda’s eyes were drawn up into the large, teal pools that his irises represented. She could swim in them and Wanda gently pressed herself forward, gently kissing him. Their lips met and he slowly returned the gesture. She could feel his heart racing, and he could feel hers climbing as well, but then… they both calmed. This was a safe environment for both of them and it was a comfortable one. So, their heartbeats slowed and Wanda gently pulled away, looking into his eyes and then glancing back down towards her own hands, softly leaning her head on Vision’s shoulder. 

There was dim music from inside of the restaurant and they sat there, both of them quiet but so much mutual care shown in the expressions of their faces. He could hear her thanks, and he could hear it was for the same reason. He wrapped his arm around her once again. “I have never had the privilege of love.” Vision suddenly murmured, looking down at his artificial skin and taking the disguise from his left hand temporarily, brushing the skin. “I have simply existed in loneliness, from the moment I was born. I was meant to be built as a weapon. I suppose I am.” 

“That’s not true.” Wanda murmured and finally, she wrapped her fingers around Vision’s, and he looked up into her eyes. There was a softness in them that was unprecedented, and the sapphire moss shade penetrated his gaze. He realized she was probably the only person on the earth that would actually be able to know exactly what he felt. The fear of his own powers, and the trauma of his young past. His first mission ever was to kill. He imagined her, he imagined her skinnier body in Sokovia. 

It was like he was configuring all of the memories she had shared and placing it in one room. The walls were coated with moisture, and there was a singular television in the corner. It was miniscule, barely the size of her head. Wanda sat on a bench in the middle, and though she looked a few years younger, she looked tens of pounds skinnier and he shut his eyes, feeling a foriegn pain run through him. She looked completely alone. Slowly, he was transported back into reality and he moved his gaze to meet hers once again, and nodded. “I cannot imagine what you have gone through… what you are… though, I sometimes wished I could: before we had met, I mean. I would ask for someone to mourn… for someone to care for. It had never been answered… but, all of a sudden: that has changed.” He sounded almost quizzical, like he, too did not understand the drastic change. 

Wanda watched him as he looked at the chilled air, and the people that passed by the table they sat at. Wanda looked down, her hand still settled on his and she looked down. It was still a fresh wound: Pietro. It was a wound, a permanent one that had altered her. She was quieter. She was timid, and she scared easier. Most of all, she was absolutely terrified to ever trust someone again. Wanda didn’t want to place that trust and care in someone’s hands and then watch them die before her. Not again. “I am not sure what this is, and I am not sure what this new… feeling in my chest is. I know there is a causality. Forgive me… I ramble.” 

He stammered and his words tripped over themselves and Wanda looked up, smiling softly. “I don’t want to be a hero anymore.” Wanda murmured softly, and he met her eyes suddenly, seeing the seriousness in her eyes, but it was then that she broke the connection. “I don’t like the pressure to save lives, and I am tired of destroying people when I try to do something right. I just want to be… ordinary.” Wanda admitted, and he found that she had returned to her habit of playing with a ring that laid on her fourth finger of her right hand. He had never seen her without it. 

“Well… good… because, neither do I.” They spoke quietly and she looked up into his eyes. There was a deep connection and she inspected the teal, lapis looping of his irises and the dark, jet black pupils that were perfectly placed in the direct center of his eyes. There were emerald glints, and for a moment, they reminded her of Pietro’s. That was surprising. She didn’t remember the last time she had felt that safety with someone, where she could think of them on the pedestal that she held Pietro on. Pietro was like a hero: he  _ was  _ a hero. How could she ever possibly equate to that? Wanda knew she couldn’t, it was just  _ true.  _ Pietro died to save  _ Clint,  _ and an innocent. When she tried to save a single life she ended multiple. She just needed to remove herself from the equation. “Well, here we are. Vision and Wanda: runaway, not-heroes.” 

Wanda’s eyes sparkled and a large smile drifted onto her lips. He felt her squeeze his hand and she gently leaned her head on his shoulder, as they were sitting beside each other. “That has a ring to it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for reading, guys! also holy shit, the new WV episode, my mind is breeding with comic info and theories lmao. Hope you guys had an amazing week, also, I am not sure if I would continue this to WV or end it at the end of endgame? Is that something you guys would want? Or would you end it at endgame? It depends on if Vision lives, if he doesn't i'll probably just write it so he does so i don't get actual depression lol, but depends if you guys want it. alright enough ranting, have an amazing week !


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vision and Wanda have decided to remain outside of the States.

“That has a ring to it.” They both released a soft chuckle and Wanda looked down, a small strand of hair blocking her eyes from his sight, and he considered that a tragedy. 

She decided to dress in the shirt he had gifted her the previous night, and a pair of large sweatpants that didn’t even frame her legs. The rain had not returned and there was the shimmering of stars pressing down on the atmosphere. It glittered through the windows, and it probably was not a wise decision to stay in the same place for the two or three days they had been there… but it was nice. It was a small, quiet town. People knew who the Avengers were, but Vision was unrecognizable, and Wanda always kept her head down… though, she had done that before, anyway. 

No one really cared; it was a quiet town, and everyone seemed to know each other. It made it hard to stay under the radar, yes, but it also meant sticking in the shadows wasn’t as rare. Everyone knew each other, but they usually stuck to their own families. It was… nice. Vision and Wanda had almost developed a schedule of sorts in the birth of their quest for the life of ‘non-heroes.’ That was their new label for themselves. ‘Non-heroes.’ So, as Wanda pulled herself under the duvet of the bed and looked beside her to see Vision assembling the infamous pillow wall, Wanda smirked. 

Wanda trusted him, she trusted him and cared for him more than any living embodiment in her life, even Clint. Clint was the only one she trusted, at first, after losing Pietro. Something in the man just… said things would be okay. 

_ “Wanda.” He shook her hand, taking the remote of the television and shutting off the sitcom. She turned her head, furrowing her eyebrows and snatching it back from him. It had been almost a week of Wanda doing nothing but not moving. She quite literally had not moved even a muscle from where she’d sat herself down a week ago. There was still a dot of blood on her fingertip. Wanda only got up to shower, and then she retired to the exact same position. “Kid, you-”  _

_ “Clint, please… Just leave.” Wanda finally whispered, placing her hands on her forehead and leaning on them, shaking her head. There were no more tears anymore, it was just silence and a constant, dead expression. “Clint. Please. Please leave.” Part of her was testing him, daring him to leave to see if he would. She wouldn’t do this again. She wouldn’t trust anyone, it wasn’t going to happen. Wanda had yet to visit her brother’s grave, and the truth was she just couldn’t. “Just leave me.”  _

_ The man sat beside Wanda and the bed sank under his weight. There was a moment of silence in the early morning, and even though they had known each other for not long, he didn’t care. She was destroyed. She was a shattered glass, her shards cascading across the floor and breaking into small bits of crystal; there was no garbage around to dump herself in, and she was just stuck in a broken state. “Not happening.” Barton spoke in a stern yet gentle tone and he looked directly into Wanda’s eyes,  _ daring  _ her to look in the other direction, or raise the silly sitcoms she watched like hypnosis every day.  _

_He wasn’t sure why, but she simply watched the same episode of the same show, day after day, after day. Season two: episode twenty one. He couldn’t figure out what exactly was so special about the small clip of a peak into the ‘American dream.’ She watched it as if she were brainwashed each day, and the strange ritual had certainly directed the attention of her ‘friends.’ Friends… What friends? They pitied her, and so they pretended to care about her, that was the hypothesis she had come to. Wanda missed Pietro._ _  
__Wanda met his eyes, and they were suddenly affixed with a glassy shade. Barton seemed caught off-guard by the sudden flush of emotion after she had been so deadly silent for the entire week. Wanda had a problem of sealing it all inside. It was her curse. Well,_ one _of her curses. “I’m sorry.” Barton repeated, and Wanda tried to recount how many times she had heard the phrase the current week, especially from Clint._

_ She knew he blamed himself, and though she was in the identical position, she wasn’t sure what to say to him to try to clear his conscience. “It should have been me.” It had finally happened, Wanda had finally been defeated. The shields she begged for her body to keep had come crashing down on her like the undertow of a wave, and it felt like she was drowning in it. “He had so many wants… wishes. Dreams.” Wanda had pulled her gaze away from Clint and looked down to the blanket laid across her. She played with the fabric, torturing a liberated string between her finger-nails. “He wanted to live. I just wanted to survive.” Her voice was in a monotone expression, and it was devoid of emotion.  _

_ “He would have wanted it to be him.” It felt like there was a pressure building in her, and it was going to explode in a second, but the blast never came. There was just a beeping that resonated in her head, reminding her of her incoming doom, but incoming never came. “He made it so it was him. Your brother was a hero.”  _

_ Wanda looked up to him, two tears sneaking down the sides of her face. Clint had a guilt-ridden expression. “I know that.” She replied, wiping a tear that spilled over the peaks of her rosy cheeks and sniffling. The hints of sunlight streamed through the thick glass of the compound, and there were small paintings hung on the walls. It was just a guest room, and she deemed it appropriate, for that was all she was. Wanda was a guest. She wasn’t a hero… not like her brother. Not like Pietro.  _

“Vis, it’s okay…” Wanda murmured, placing her hand on his when he went to move one of the pillows and he looked into her eyes, a level of uncertainty ridden in his eyes. “I trust you.” She whispered, and there was the small hint of a laugh track emanating from the television. It had been another day, and of course, Clint and Steve called and they talked, only not for as long.   
“Are you sure?” Wanda nodded and he followed suit, taking his pillow from the center of the bed and placing it back where his head would lay. He was dressed in a loose, gray sweater and dark gray sweatpants. It was almost odd not to see him in the formal, colored shirts and jeans he always wore. However, being a fugitive required sacrifices, and sadly, the suicide of fashion was an unfortunate consequence. “Alright.” His voice was soft, and she took the edge of her pillow, laying her head on it and looking towards the television. There was another sitcom on, and it seemed Vision had grown an affinity for them, as well.   
There was the hint of a laugh track and as Vision settled above the blankets beside her, there was a comfortable silence that fell in the air while they both watched the show. It was a late hour. Vision always sat above the comforters of the bed, as he wanted Wanda to feel comfortable, even if it had been decided that they would be ‘together,’ whatever that entailed. Together meant having someone else to share your happiness with, and it meant having someone to give you that happiness. Wanda liked ‘together’ with him. 

Vision’s soft laughter resonated beside her and she turned her head, looking at the smile on his face as he watched the television. Wanda smiled and they both sat there. Her legs were crossed underneath the blankets, but slowly, as time went on, she laid down and leaned to the side, part of her watching the show but most of her slowly falling asleep. Under the sheets, she was covered and Wanda’s eyelashes finally slipped shut, and her body entered a limp state. 

The fuzzed hum of the laughter track played through the speakers of the television and he watched the episode carefully.  _ ‘Honey, I'm home.’  _ The man on the screen danced through the door. He had striking black hair and pale skin, though there was no color gradient, and the screen was illuminated in grayscale.  _ ‘Hi there, sweetheart.’  _ A woman’s voice greeted the man and the camera panned to her.  _ ‘Hi, baby.’  _ Vision blinked and he looked down towards Wanda beside him. Her hair fell down to the crook of her back and framed her face. 

There was the hint of freckles on her face, but they barely dusted her cheeks. Her long eyelashes tickled the flesh under her eyes and he watched her. There was a peace that suddenly resonated in him when he watched her chest rise and fall, and he slowed. “I was not meant to feel anything.” He whispered softly, not wanting to wake her. Vision had once spoken in a robotic, monotone voice. He used larger words, those that would be found in an encyclopedia or a thesaurus. “You have… enlightened me with life, Wanda Maximoff.” Vision spoke in a soft tone and he released his artificial skin for a moment. The violet shade took over his body and the mind stone in his head created a dim illumination of amber. 

It was odd. He never understood the stone in his head, nor why he had been chosen to wield it. He inquired this confusion to the others, but Thor had vanished before he was able to ask for his knowledge, and the most anyone else knew was Dr. Banner. He had also disappeared. That left him with Wanda, though he never dared to ask her about her exploration with the mind stone, or how she had gotten her powers. She had spoken about it briefly, but Wanda was not someone who shared her grief, mostly in fear of causing a larger burden. 

_ “After a short time, they separated us. I was alone. I wasn’t supposed to survive that night. Something just… washed over me, and there was this… this power in me I had never felt before. It was terrifying. And then, I just… collapsed… And I was back in the cage.”  _ They held trauma, but Vision held a different type. It was wrong that he had at first envied her. He envied the ability to feel something, or mourn something. All he had ever felt was an empty ringing in his head, and everyone who he had ever met telling him to be the weapon they made him to be. Wanda was traumatized in the way that was the human side of her. She was hurt. Over, and over, and over again. That was probably why she was so afraid to care about him, and how when their relationship first blossomed, she tried to push him away. That was in full swing after losing Pietro, and after Lagos. Slowly, the walls that she had built up around herself with him fell, or were falling. 

Wanda looked peaceful like this, sleeping. Her chest rose and fell slowly at an even rate, and every now and then her fingertips would play with the fabric of her pillow. Vision didn’t sleep. Well, technically, he did not  _ need  _ to sleep, but his body did need rest. However, there was no need to shut his eyes, and he could turn it on and off in an instantaneous manner.  _ “Darrin, does every question _

_ have to have a "why" behind it?”  _ The television asked and he turned his head away from Wanda finally. 

He had never known what beauty was… not before he met Wanda. He didn’t know the word ‘love,’ however now, he was beginning to know a hint of what the word meant. Whatever this pounding in his chest was, or the way he tripped over his words with Wanda… he liked the flutter of butterflies in his stomach. It made him feel  _ alive.  _ There was a whisper of a name beside him, and Vision turned his head, seeing that Wanda’s eyebrows had furrowed and her hands tightened against the fabric of her pillow. 

Vision used to know what pity he sent to her, but now, he empathized with her. It was not even possible and yet, his rest had been plagued with unrest recently. Ultron’s voice echoed in his head, and he was  _ scared.  _ He was fearful that he would become Ultron: a monster. He was never meant to be anything more than a weapon, a means of desperation to destroy Ultron. Sometimes he was surprised the Avengers kept him online after the controversial events in Sokovia. There had certainly been calls for it, but the amount of support the Avengers faced was louder… sometimes it felt undeserved. 

He took a slow breath, reaching his hand down and gently taking her fingers from the tight fabric of her pillow. Vision didn’t wish to wake her, he only wanted to ease her. He wasn’t sure if it was a nightmare, or perhaps just a memory. The fact that those lines were so blurred made him feel nauseous. Ultron was correct: he was naive. The only trauma he held was of having  _ none.  _ He had never felt anything, he was a numb weapon. 

Of course the ice he had been held in was thawed by Wanda, and he was forever grateful. He was in  _ love.  _ He hadn’t even known that word months ago. When Vision laced his fingers around Wanda, the tightness in Wanda’s features fell away and there was a slow settle of sleep on her body. A wave of hair fell between her eyes and her other hand settled flatly on the pillow and her body stilled in the bed. Vision gently squeezed her hand and he nudged himself an inch closer to her, but still didn’t touch her. He was beyond respectful of the boundaries that she had once worn, even if she told him it was alright. He wanted to be sure. He didn’t want her to feel for even a second that she was pressured into  _ anything,  _ or discomfort. 

_ “Well, there is one lovely girl I know.”  _ The television announced and Vision kept her hand in his, but he turned back to the television. He laughed softly once again when there was a zoom-in one of the men, and he had an odd expression on his face. In the year he had known Wanda, he knew that she watched these shows religiously. Old sitcoms. The young woman held an affinity for them, and Vision supposed it had something to do with her brother. It was similar to the affinity she held with the Sokovian dishes he would always smell when they had lived in the compound.  _ “You were leading the same kind of life when you met me… and you were glad to give it up. Weren’t you?”  _

The night was silent, though occasionally, there were the honks of vehicles outside and the muffled hustle of urban pedestrians in the streets below. It was safe. It felt free, which was a stark contradiction to the previous  _ four  _ or five months. The constant running and the life of a fugitive affected the human psyche, it affected the  _ synthezoid  _ psyche. Before they had been recaptured, and more importantly, Wanda had been  _ shot _ , morale was low. After almost a week with Wanda completely unconscious, a new pecisim had rolled over everyone, even Steve. Vision had found that impossible before the Accords. Wanda seemed to put a smile on their faces, even if her own was rare.  _ “Sure I was, Sam. But a girl like you doesn't come along every day.”  _

Vision streaked his body in his artificial skin once again and blonde rays of hair fell over his eyes in his combover. He brushed them away, and laid his body down in the bed, still staying above his pajamas.  _ “I have an idea. Why don't you ask Kermit to dinner Friday night?”  _ He took the remote and lowered the volume slightly. Wanda needed sleep. Both of them had been so careful, and it didn’t allow much rest for either of them. Keeping both eyes open was a full-time employment and it took a toll. 

It had been a few days since they had both been well-rested, and he wanted her to just be worryless for a day. That was so rare for both of them, and that was why they just wanted to retire the name of ‘hero.’ At least, for now. They were not welcome, anyway. Why could they not have the privilege of having a normal life? They had both decided… all they needed was to have the other there. So why couldn’t that simple wish be granted?  _ “Darling, I'm just asking you to invite him to dinner, not his wedding. For me? Please?”  _

Vision sat up, releasing Wanda’s hand and looking through his backpack, pulling out a small map he had bought of the area. Edinburgh. He wasn’t exactly sure how to pronounce it, but he did so to familiarize himself with the area. They had simply rented out the room in the hotel. It wasn’t smart to stay in one place, but they both wanted so desperately to just be safe and have somewhat of an average life that they just believed they were safe.  _ “Hi, Kermit. Hi, Darrin. Mmm. Boy, you like her!”  _

He looked at the map, taking a small marker and circling two or three locations. There was laughter coming from the television and he looked down at the paper.  _ “My wife had the crazy notion that you might like to come to dinner at our house.”  _ Vision folded the paper into squares and placed it on the cabinet beside his bed. He sat on the edge of the bed once again and the mattress squeaked for a moment under his weight. They hadn’t ever really talked about what had happened after she left the compound, or the night she did. They both were apologetic. 

Vision had seen the hurt in her expression the moment before she propelled him into the concrete.  _ “If you do this… they will never stop being afraid of you.”  _ He shut his eyes when he remembered his cruel words and leaned his head on his hands, heaving a deep sigh. Wanda’s breathing was still calm and reserved in the room, and he listened to it intently.  _ “I cannot protect you out there.”  _ That was his plea, and it was the first time he had ever confirmed the intimacy growing between them. Their friendship in the compound was the only thing either of them lived for, they both knew it. Vision was not brave enough to admit it, and Wanda didn’t want to. She didn’t want to admit she had fallen for the trap of caring about someone once again. 

Wanda was absolutely disgusted with herself in the hours after doing that to Vision, -hurting him- and it was clear. Almost every single day after they had been reunited, she apologized, and he always had the same response.  _ “Wanda. I have no reason to be upset with you.”  _ Whenever he apologized, she watched as the same, small smile etched onto his face and he looked down to her with his gentle gaze. 

She would always remember how horrible and painful it was to push Vision through that building, and she forced herself to relive it so that she would never even think of doing it again. It felt like a burning sensation, and she only wondered how it had felt for him. 

_ ‘I did something wrong.’ He thought and he fought to keep his eyes open as she desperately pushed the density of his body further and further. The concrete crackled underneath his weight below him and he looked down. It was like he couldn’t control his own limbs, and he saw the scarlet shade controlling his wrists and ankles. He had seen the use of her powers before, that is why he noticed the dimmer color and the less-dense chains of power that hung around his limbs. “If you do this… they will never stop being afraid of you.” Vision whispered, his voice short and choppy due to the weight pushing down on him.  _

_ Wanda’s movements stopped and for a moment, he felt the power around him loosen, and then surge. “I cannot control their fear… only my own.” She replied with a destroyed expression and she pressed her hands down to her waist and finally, his body pressed through the flooring and there were the deafening sounds of roars around him. He realized it was the concrete breaking against his back and it was like he could feel her touch as she pressed him down. “I am sorry.” Wanda whispered, but he could still hear her words in his ear like she was right beside him… like they were having a conversation.  _

_ Finally, it ceased. He had never felt pain before, he had only seen the dent in a limb, or the exposed wiring of his body. Vision never felt true pain. So, as he sat there, buried in a pile of rubble and small grains of dirt burying the edges of his body, he felt pain, But it was not because of the scratches in his skin that showed through the tears in his clothing, and not because of the dot of violet blood that rested on his cheek, no. It was because it had been Wanda. That was why it hurt. If he called immediately, Stark would intercept Wanda and Clint on their runaway… he remained silent. Wanda was a person, her own person. She made her decisions, and if this was her decision, he respected it.  _

_ Vision felt a new pain: it wasn’t in his body, it was not in his gut. He felt a pain in the center of his chest, above his lungs. It was in his heart. Something about the situation had wounded him, and not physically. Vision almost smiled, as he realized, for the first time since the birth of his physical form:  _ he was not alone.  _ He had someone to care for, and he no longer felt the lack.  _

There was a pink illumination over the room and it lit the dim monitor of the television, as a low volumed laugh track had continued to pour through the room. Wanda took a small breath and released an exhale, her eyes still shut. Her eyelashes tickled her slightly freckled cheeks and she furrowed her eyebrows, as something was on her. Not directly on top of her, but beside her. She opened one eye and then the other when she saw Vision’s golden hair laying on the overside of her shoulder. It was early, around seven or eight and the pollution of exhaustion that had possessed her the previous day vanished. She felt… relaxed for a moment. 

Wanda remained still, not wanting to wake Vision. His eyes were shut and his short eyelashes dusted his eyelids. His skin was white, but his cheeks were still blushed with a rose shade, even in his sleep. She found herself smiling at his image, and she laid her head back against his affectionately. Wanda felt safe here, for the first time since… she could not remember. Now that she considered it, she could not remember the last time she had felt the grace of safety. Growing up in the grasp of H.Y.D.R.A until a young age, it had eradicated whatever ‘safety’ meant to her. Perhaps it was with Mama and Papa… before the bombings. 

There were still scars from when the bomb had struck their apartment, physical scars. There was a cut on the direct back of her neck that had been prompted by a shard of glass wedging itself into the skin. There were signs of electrocution on her fingertips, gifted by Strucker and H.Y.D.R.A. Of course, she had the existing bullet hole that was placed right above her abdomen. The stitches Vision had sewn into her flesh remained. Her body was a map of the trauma she had to endure during her life. Wanda took it as a part of herself. 

The  _ problem  _ with that was: she took it as a part of herself and only herself. Talking to someone about her grief seemed foriegn, and she had experimented with that with Vision, and he had done the same with her. They worked, mostly because they had both been so traumatized and that only went away with each other’s comfort and presence. The relationship that was developing between them was like a private, locked room, and only the two of them had a key. 

The room had a bed, and a window and a television, like any normal room. The window led to a blank void of whiteness, and the door had a padlock on the inside. Together, with each conversation they chipped away at the lock with a single, shared grip. However, when they finally broke through and opened the doorway to beyond the void: it was the real world. The real world suddenly pushed down on both of them, and Wanda stood much more straight than she had in their room. There was a new fear and pain that entered both of their bodies and they both saw the cruelty that the real world held. However, when they took a step forward into the world, they moved at the same time and in their sharing, they had a shield around them that protected them. Or so they thought. 

Suddenly shaking her out of her head, there was the deafening ringing of a phone and Wanda jumped, as did Vision beside her. His eyes shot open and it seemed like at first he had thought it was an intruder, as his artificial skin fell away. His eyes quickly met Wanda looking beside her body at the bureau that lived next to her side of the bed. She hesitated for a moment before sitting above the blankets, crossing her legs and facing the phone and away from Vision. “Hello?” Wanda asked, taking the phone and turning around, laying the landline on the small space of bed between Vision and her. 

Her fingertip pressed a button on the console and the static that had been pouring into her ear was released from the speakers of the landline’s phone, and it was switched onto speaker-phone.  _ ‘Wanda? You there? _ ’ It was Steve’s voice, and he knew that Sam was most likely right beside him. Vision cloaked his body once again and wiped his hair out of his sleepy eyes. Their eyes met and then they both looked down towards the phone. It was early in the morning, but she remembered that the time zones differed from the U.S to Scotland.  _ ‘Is Vision there?’ _

He nodded, but then remembered Steve could not see him. “Yes.” Vision replied, and there was a clear curiosity in his mind. Then, they both realized Steve was calling to ask how he would collect them, and once again, their eyes connected. “If I may ask, not intending to sound rude, that is, why is it you are calling exactly?” He asked brushing his fingertips against each other and crossing his legs, sitting across from Wanda.

_ ‘We’re going to pack into the quinjet, come pick you up. Barton said we could refuge for a few days, until we figure out where we’re going.’  _ When Wanda and Vision’s eyes studied each other, it was clear they had the exact same thoughts. ‘ _ Hello?’  _ Steve asked after a few moments of silence and Vision cleared his throat, looking down to the phone that laid before Wanda’s crossed legs. “Yes, Captain Rogers, urm…” He was anxious, she could see by his body language. “... we were considering the thought that it might be a better idea for… for us to stay.” 

_ ‘What?’  _ Steve asked, his voice coming through more strict through the phone and Vision swallowed, clearing his throat nervously once again. “Steve.” Wanda began to speak and she switched the button on the console, taking the phone and pressing it to her ear. Wanda was slightly more open, in that moment, at least. She was unafraid to speak to Steve, when Vision tripped over his words. He was silently grateful and watched as she turned around once again, her shorts covering her skin up until her knees. “Listen…” 

Vision turned around and stretched his lungs once again, pushing himself upward from the bed. “It’s the best idea. It was too close last time.” They had both agreed that they’d keep their relationship a secret, though Wanda was sure Barton suspected something after witnessing how destroyed she was after the events at the compound. There was a small, quiet speaking from the other side of the phone and Vision barely listened, even if he was able to hear Steve’s dialogue. “We can’t get caught again, I…” Wanda sighed and placed her fingers on her temples. “No more airports. We’re safer here, anyway.” 

The true terror and abject fear that Wanda held for returning to the Raft was clear, and that was part of the reason Vision wished for them to stay in Scotland. There was less dictation than there was in the States, and they were safer. He had seen from a first-hand account how reserved and traumatized Wanda was the few first weeks after she had been rescued. “I’m not asking you to understand… just respect it… please?” Wanda asked softly and there was another moment of silence. 

He heard her writing something on a notepad that laid on the bureau and she muttered words of agreement.  _ Weekly check-in’s, you understand? You stay off the grid, and you be  _ careful.  _ I don’t want to have to save your ass again, alright?’  _ Wanda chuckled softly and nodded, pressing the phone against her ear and her hair fell beside it. “Yeah, we will, old man.” She smiled, looking out at the life that had begun to rise in the morning throughout the city. People passed through the streets and she saw a young girl walking a large dog through one of the alleys. There was more garbled conversation through the phone and she nodded again. Finally, she pressed the phone into the receiver and the bells of the old phone shook slightly. 

“What did he say?” Vision asked, turning around and looking into her eyes. She smiled softly, holding her hand out and giving him an exaggerated thumbs up. Vision chuckled gently, and sat on the bed beside her, looking at the television for a moment and watching the old sitcom for a moment, hearing her slow breathing beside him.

“Thanks.” Wanda suddenly remarked in a small voice and he looked up, meeting her eyes and looking at each spiral of color in her irises. There was a conversation just in their gaze and he tilted his head. “... for not making us go back. Or… not letting them take me again… at the airport. I never said ‘thank you’ for that.” Wanda spoke softly, and she looked down, brushing out her hair and crossing her legs once again. She was quiet for a moment and she looked down, playing with the ring on her fourth finger. Vision watched her carefully and it was clear she was absorbed in her own thoughts. Her eyes bore into the comforter that laid on the bed and she still circled the small ring. Wanda was thinking about the Raft, or really, Sokovia. They were indistinguishable. 

Wanda was lucky enough to not endure a straight-jacket each day in Sokovia, but she had been separated from Pietro rather quickly in that hell. They had been allowed the privilege of each other’s comfort for a few days, maybe a week or two. After that, both of them were cealed behind walls, and it felt like they would never see each other again. Vision’s smile faltered as he looked at her caught-in-thought gaze. He stood beside the bed and sat beside her, and the mattress sunk around an inch due to his weight. 

Vision smiled gently and he raised his chin, watching the careful movement of her features as he watched her thinking. “If my memory serves me correctly, it was I who asked you to stay.” He responded gently, serving her the same gratitude that had apparently become mutual between them. Wanda looked up, meeting his eyes and seeing the care that had entered them when he looked at her. It was quiet for a moment, and slowly, Wanda kissed him gently and there was a thick layer of blush on both of their cheeks. He returned her kiss and slowly they both pulled away after a moment and their foreheads rested against each other. 

“I’m staying.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for reading, guys! i was thinking in a few chapters, once i've set things up a little more, maybe i could open requests you guys can send in for chapters. i mean, there was two years from civil war to infinity war and i'd say we're like a quarter of a way through it, so i've got a lot to write lmao. so, if you guys have any requests for chapters, start sending them in now, and i'll get to them in 2-3ish chapters. alright, that's all for today! thanks for reading, have a good day <3


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She never thought she'd have to see it again.

“I’m staying.” Wanda softly whispered and his lips tugged a small smile on his face. It was quiet for a moment, but it was a comfortable silence. Wanda had held his arms, and he held her waist as they sat across from each other. Slowly, she curled her knees up and sat beside him on the bed, her eyes diverted towards the television once again.  _ ‘They’re teaching stupid things, like the alphabet.’  _ “We used to watch them every night.” Wanda confirmed, turning her head and seeing he had joined her in watching the show. He seemed to like them. “Papa… my father…” She corrected herself, watching the laughter on the television and smiling. It wasn’t the smile he had come to know in the year he’d been blessed with knowing her. Not the one where there was a clear pain that hid behind it, and she thought no one would notice, and no one ever said anything, and so it continued. No, this was a true smile. He prided himself on the fact that he had gotten her to smile. “We had this big box, Pietro’s collection. I memorized each and every episode.” Wanda grinned, seeing the smile on his lips and she giggled softly, a tepidness still in her. 

_ ‘Darling, what are you doing home from work so early?’  _ “Season two, episode twenty one.” Wanda smiled and both of them laughed in a soft tone the fuzzed laughter track of the television played. Wanda’s dark-colored nails picked at her sleeves and she played with the fabric. “It was the… urm, the walnut episode.” Vision chuckled gently and they both crossed their legs. The tips of their knees touched slightly due to their close proximity, but neither of them moved. 

“That sounds delightful.” Vision murmured and she grinned, nodding and looking into his eyes. There were shines of light coming in from the glass wall beside them that reflected in his irises. Wanda returned her gaze to the television and she rested her chin on her palms, smiling and watching the episode intently. She could remember each detail and then finally, she remembered the last time she had watched this. It was the night both of her parents were killed, in the Sokovian bombings. That was what they had called it, at least.  _ ‘Laura, Laura. You gotta help me! I’m havin’ a nightmare, I… I can’t wake up.”  _

Suddenly, there was a different sort of light in the room, and Vision turned his head to look at either corner. There was a scarlet light that had etched itself at each edge of the walls, and Vision furrowed his artificial eyebrows. “Urm… Wanda?” He asked, looking at her, though, her eyes were still their natural color, which was unprecedented when she used her powers. He nudged her and she looked up to him with a curious glance. 

“Yeah?” Wanda asked, looking to the side for a moment but then she saw the scarlet shade of her own power crawling up the walls and her smile dropped. She was confused, as when she looked down to her own hands, there was no trace of her power. 

“Are you…?” 

“No, I… I’m not doing anything. I don’t think I’m doing anything.” She shook her head, looking as the shades of red grew on the walls and there was a quiet, high-pitched ringing in her ears suddenly, but Vision didn’t seem to hear it like she did. They both were still, like they didn’t know how to move. Wanda looked up, looking to Vision and he turned his head to watch her, as he had been watching the scarlet shadows spread from the dark gray walls to the ceiling. 

Slowly, the trace of scarlet in her eyes grew and the ringing in Wanda’s ears grew with it. The scarlet around the room had begun to morph in different colors, almost as if the room itself was being moved into a different one with them inside. Wanda took Vision’s hand and he squeezed it. “What… what is happening?” He asked, looking at the flooring but everything beside the bed was enveloped in a shade of  _ ‘You’re having a nightmare?’  _ “Wanda, have… do you know what’s happening?” 

“No… I don’t…” Wanda’s words trailed off as the scarlet shade swarmed in colors and suddenly, they were in a different room, and on a different bed. “Oh…” She released a breath and let go of Vision’s hand. Her body was still, and Vision watched her carefully. The room didn’t look completely solid, the edges of the walls were tainted with red and the window in the far left wall had no view to look out upon, it was simply the color of carmine. 

Vision tilted his head in absolute confusion, and it seemed like it had been created by some sort of subconscious within herself, and she couldn’t reverse it. “Where are we?” He asked her, and the confused look on her face didn’t answer him. Wanda sat up and she looked around, a clear level of disbelief in her. Part of her thought she was dreaming, but when she looked at the mustard yellow wallpaper and the cold stone floor… she felt terror. “... Wanda?” Vision spoke in a gentle voice and it drew her gaze back to him. Her eyes were a dull red, still.   
There was gunfire in the distance, but Wanda didn’t flinch like Vision had. “We… we’re in… we’re in Sokovia.” It sounded like a question, and Wanda’s hands departed from Vision’s. She stood, like she was in a dream. “I don’t know what’s happening.” The Wanda he had known for his _entire_ time knowing her had been pushed down and she looked like she had seen a ghost. Vision watched her and when he stood, he didn’t feel stone like he should have, but he felt the fuzzy carpet tickling his socks and he looked down. When he focused, he could hear the rain against the hotel’s windows, and the familiar laugh track of the television before the bed. 

“It’s an illusion.” He realized, being wary as he stepped, but Wanda’s focus was on the room. There was a single, dark green couch that was brushed with dust slightly, and there was a single television beside the bed. It looked much older than the one in the hotel and Wanda’s sight lingered on it for a moment. “Wanda, it is your subconscious, this is not real.” Vision spoke gently, and she took in a deep inhale, shutting her eyes. 

It smelled like cooking, like her mother’s cooking. It was indeed her powers, and it was her manipulation, much like the nightmares she had implanted in the Avengers’ heads in the African coast when she had first associated herself with Ultron. Only, the memory of the television had triggered something in her subconscious that had activated it and played her own memory. Her powers projected the memory with her own energy and that explained the low ringing in her head. “I… I know.” Wanda whispered in response, but she still didn’t seem to try to deactivate the illusion. Her socks greeted the stone and she walked towards a coat-hanger, taking a small, black rain-coat from the appliance and taking in the scent that lingered from the clothing… it smelled like Pietro. 

The door at the far end of the room suddenly opened and a small boy came bouncing through, though he didn’t seem to see or hear Wanda, nor Vision. Vision looked at the boy. He had dark, brunette hair and hazel eyes.  _ ‘Mama!’  _ The boy chimed and Wanda turned around, seeing a tall, slender woman beside the boy. Her lips curled into a smile and Vision watched her. He felt the bureau that lay beside the bed in the hotel room, and it was confirmed that it was simply a cloak: a simulacra room. However, he saw the smile on Wanda’s face when she looked at the woman. “Wanda…” He whispered, and moved her head for a moment, walking back towards him and sitting on the edge of the bed. It squeaked, and Vision realized the illusion had made the hotel’s bed look like what he presumed to be Wanda’s as a child. “Wanda.” 

“I know, just one moment…” She asked, looking up to him with shining eyes and he nodded, taking her hand as they both watched the memories. A single, silent tear rolled down her cheek as she looked at the effect of her powers propelling herself with the memory that had been associated with the television.  _ ‘You said only rule of TV night was no Sokovian!’  _ Pietro yelled and Wanda smiled, a soft laugh escaping from her lips as she watched the last night she had with all of her family breathing and living.  _ ‘Yes, yes, we were simply getting rid of  _ last  _ bit of Sokovian.’  _ The woman whispered, kissing the boy’s forehead and messing his hair. 

Vision moved his head from the three figures, and then looked to Wanda. She had a peaceful look on her face, and a small smile on her lips. Her sleeve wiped away a single tear and she looked into Vision’s eyes when he took her hand, holding it gently. It never seemed like she had done this before, but it seemed to paint the image of closure over her, even if this aspect of her power was meant to be for ensuing nightmares. “I… I never thought this was possible, I’ve always used my powers to… to cause harm.”  _ ‘Where is your sister?’  _ Wanda turned her head back and she saw herself enter the room. She had long, brunette hair that trailed down towards the crook of her neck and freckles that dusted her cheeks. 

He held her hand and Wanda squeezed it, watching her mother cover her child-self’s eyes and her father took a small box from behind a crack in the wall. Wanda smiled as she watched the scene before her, and there was gunfire coming from somewhere else. She didn’t even blink, she’d become used to it. Vision watched every movement of her face, and he realized the view that was visible from the window showed a warzone, and bloody bodies littering the streets.  _ ‘This is your pick, yes?’ ‘Season two, episode twenty one.’  _ Wanda’s voice was higher, and she had a natural smile on her lips. 

_ ‘Dick Van Dyke, again? It’s always sitcom, sitcom, sitcom.’  _ She smiled and watched the memory roll before itself. Wanda felt Vision’s eyes on her, but she just took the opportunity of reliving the small moment of happiness, before the storm would come.  _ ‘The walnut episode!’  _ Her father laughed and Wanda smiled, and there was a warmth in her that she had only felt on days like these. Days like these, and with Vision. He made her feel safe, and so did her family, even if feeling safe in Sokovia was a foriegn concept. 

Wanda and Pietro sat beside the bed and before the television, and the screen flickered. Her body language was relaxed and tense at the same time, and with each second that went by, she fiddled with the sleeves of her shirt and held Vision’s hands tightly. He wanted to say something, but it felt almost forbidden to interrupt the silence she held. Wanda held her breath and looked at her parents, and Pietro’s child body before her.  _ ‘Yes, Rob and Laura have for the most  _ fun  _ shenanigans.’  _

_ ‘What is shenanigan again?’  _ Pietro asked, and by chance, he had looked to the side for a moment, but happened to look right into Wanda’s eyes. She swallowed and looked down to her hand in Vision’s, and he moved closer to her. “Perhaps, we should…” 

“Wait, just… one more moment.” She whispered, and looked up, boring her eyes into his and he saw the glassy texture. Vision nodded slowly, taking her other hand and she diverted her head back to her own, smaller body beside her brother’s.  _ ‘Shenanigan is like problem, but more silly than scary. But sometimes it can be scary.’  _ Wanda smiled at herself and she felt Vision’s hands holding hers, and his eyes on her. He was watching her carefully, like she would just break at any second. Despite the night’s end, she often rewatched this memory within her sleep. She never knew she was capable of… this. 

The image of her family and the room was tinted with red and scarlet, but it was enough. Seeing Pietro, and her mother and father before her… even seeing Sokovia. It was enough, especially with Vision beside her.  _ ‘Yes mischief, but a silly mischief that can always become fine.’  _ Her father spoke to the twins and they looked back at him before the lights dimmed and the television’s crackled audio played through the room.  _ ‘Okay, Papa, start it for us.’  _

Vision moved his gaze from Wanda for a moment and she blinked, a small tear rolling down her cheek as she did not watch the television, she watched the breathing chests of her family.  _ ‘Welcome to the Dick Van Dyke Show! Starring Dick Van Dyke…’  _ Wanda tuned out the show and with each second, she watched the rising and falling chest of Pietro before her. He looked so… alive. And he looked so happy. The smile on his face was massive, and right beside him, there she was… like it was supposed to be. Finally, there was a roaring in the sky and Vision picked his head up, looking to the sky and seeing a glare of light headed directly to the apartment. Before he could even say anything, he watched as Wanda and Pietro’s young bodies were launched through the air, and their parents’ bodies were buried in rubble before them. 

She didn’t even react anymore, Wanda just raised her head, looking on as Pietro threw both of them under the bed that Vision and Wanda sat on and she looked down, taking her hands from Vision’s and shaking her fingers. Soon enough, the illusion that had taken place retreated and the confines of the hotel room reappeared. The television still played before them and Wanda looked towards it. When there was an expression of pity and distress on Vision’s face, Wanda seemed rather unaffected, and that really scared him. “I never thought I could… I’ve only ever given people nightmares, I didn’t know I could…” Her sentences died on her lips and she furrowed her eyebrows, looking down at a small bustle of energy between her fingertips and playing with it. 

“You do not only give people nightmares… I promise.” Wanda looked up and she had a singular tear on her cheek. She watched as Vision’s thumb wiped away her tear and she looked into his eyes, a weak smile on his lips. Vision gently pressed forward and he softly kissed her, and she smiled against him. Wanda had opened up to him about one of the worst moments of his life, and with his touch now in the memory, it seemed to heal. Not completely, there was no way that she would ever forget the feeling of her father’s blood spraying onto her face. But the monster that was grief that roared inside of her each day, like a caged animal? It finally had a muzzle. “I was thinking… perhaps… we could go for dinner?” He asked, pulling away from her and looking into her hazel-green eyes. 

Vision remembered the map he had drawn on the previous night and he took it from his pocket, flattening out. “Quite the itinerary, V.” She smiled, holding the other side of the paper while he heard the right side. Vision chuckled gently and he pointed to one circle on the map. 

“Well, urm… I found this apartment, it is not too far from here. I figured it was not safe to stay in one place for too long. Of course, if you’d like to…” Wanda looked up at him with a small smile, and he nodded. “Pardon, I ramble.” He murmured, and he looked to the map again. “U-urm, I found some restaurants if you would like to go.” Vision volunteered and Wanda grinned, looking down at the paper and seeing his handwriting around the sheet. There were notes of more populated areas of the city, and less so. 

It was charming, how much he focused on their safety. He had been cautious before, though after her getting shot, it was sweet how overprotective he was. If someone in a crowd met their gaze for too long, he would blockWanda almost like it was going to happen again. She realized after almost watching her die, he had grown the same fear she held. The words lingered over their heads whenever they had to save the world, or each other.  _ I don’t want to lose you.  _ “You’re sweet.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, everyone! i wanted to include this scene from episode eight (WV) anyway, which begs the questionL do you guys wanna see some more flashbacks from that, like... the scene in the compound, like me writing a flashback to that. your choice :3 anyway, i'm exhausted, so i'll make this short. hope you guys enjoyed, as always kudos/comments appreciated, see you in a few days, have an amazing night <3


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vision was not meant for eating food, at least they had figured that out.

“You’re sweet.” Wanda smiled, looking down at the paper and then back up to him. “Well… why don’t you choose, since you did so much research?” She nudged him jokingly and he chuckled softly, looking down at the paper. 

“Well, it just so happens that this one coincidentally serves Sokovian dishes. I figured it would be an appropriate introduction to the world of food, yes?” Wanda grinned and she nodded her head, looking up at him and seeing the happiness in his eyes. It was a far cry from the stale, monotone expressions and voices that she had known from him long ago. He was a living, breathing thing, even if some others did not believe it. 

_ There was the echoing of television in the hallways, and it was late, so she squinted her eyes and stood up in her doorway. It wasn’t like she was able to sleep, even if it had been three months since Pietro’s death. Wanda couldn’t actually  _ recall  _ the last time she had slept. She thought no one noticed, and everyone did, but no one discussed it. No one besides Vision… he  _ cared  _ about her, it was clear. But she had no idea why. She simply wasn’t worth that much trouble. The audio grew louder as she tiptoed to his room in the late hour and his door was open.  _

_ Wanda peeked her head around the doorway and there he was, sitting on the edge of his bed and watching the television before him intently. He leaned his head on his left hand and blinked once. “... killed dozens. Thousands are misplaced and have nothing to their name, all of which was caused by the homicidal, superbot Ultron. And now, we are supposed to welcome this… this  _ thing  _ to be a hero? We are supposed to give him, no, it, a gold metal and a pat on the back?” Wanda looked down and she pressed her nails into her wrists, a look of sadness dawning over her. Strangely, she felt a moment of anger when she heard them calling Vision those things.  _

_ She gently knocked against the doorframe and Vision turned around, clearing his throat and seeing her standing there. Wanda was wearing a large sweatshirt and pajama pants, and their eyes met in the luminescence of a lamp that laid beside Vision’s bed. “Can I come in?” She asked, and he instantly nodded, moving himself to the edge of the bed so that she could comfortably sit beside him. Wanda quietly took the offer and she sat beside Vision, looking out at the television and seeing the title of the video. ‘Killers - Avengers, What is the difference?’ Wanda saw her own photograph beside Vision’s, and she looked into his eyes, an empathizing look on her face. “You aren’t him.” Wanda whispered, and he knew the name she wasn’t able to speak. “They simply don’t understand. They are small minded.” Wanda shrugged, scooting a tiny bit closer to him and placing her socked feet on the carpeted floor.  _

_ “Ultron’s interface is within my body,  _ his  _ body. I quite literally am Ultron.” Vision responded in a gentle tone, looking down towards the floor and fumbling with his hands before finally, Wanda reached forward and took one of his hands, squeezing it. “I am sorry.” He murmured, a hint of sensitivity in his voice and he cleared his throat in his sleeve, looking away.  _

_ “For what?” She whispered, sitting beside him and tilting her head. Vision studied each shade of color in her eyes and saw his own reflection in her pupils. Wanda brushed a ribbon of hair behind her ear and looked into his eyes, shrugging her shoulders. “You are not… you are not Ultron, Vision. He killed my brother… you saved my life.” Wanda promised him, squeezing his hand and looking towards the television. There was an image of her brother on the screen and her sight shied away from it until his face disappeared.  _

_ He took a moment of silence before watching her as she bore her eyes into the television, her eyes dry. It was like she was used to enduring this. Like she knew exactly what it felt like and this was just a procedure she repeated over and over, and over. “Vision? It doesn’t matter the body you inhabit, and it does not matter what wires fill you.” Wanda released his hand and turned her body to look at him, and she gave him a troubled smile. “What matters…” Wanda gently pressed her index finger on his temple with a soft touch and their eyes met. “What matters is up there. That’s not Ultron up there, is it?”  _

_ Vision shook his head gently, and she gently released him, playing with a scarlet lace between her fingers. “How are you sure I am different from him?” Vision asked with a pained voice, and the tone was strenuous and  _ scared.  _ He was scared he would become the very evil he had fought to destroy.  _

_ “I can prove it.” Wanda murmured, raising her palm gently beside his head and blinking. Her eyelashes dotted and he watched with a tightness in his chest he had never felt prior to meeting her. “May I…?” She asked softly, waiting for his approval and Vision dipped his head, nodding. There was a scarlet hue that emanated from her fingertips and it gently touched the stone embedded in his head, dancing along the mass of it. The gem’s luminescence grew, like something deep in it was being touched.  _

_ Through the power, she could see him, she could  _ feel  _ him. Wanda saw no Ultron, and she saw no murderer. Part of her saw herself in him, and that almost worried her. However, she could see the honor and respect -the kindness- in him, which was something Ultron had never inherited. Vision watched her with a silence. Her eyes were shut, and her eyelashes tickled the base of her lightly freckled cheeks. After a moment, her eyes opened once again and Wanda looked into his eyes, the traces of red leaving his irises. “I… I just feel you.”  _

“Yeah… yes, that sounds nice.” Wanda smiled, and the rain that had been pouring reversed into a drizzle. She took a second before standing, and remembered the memory she had rewatched just a moment ago. “You’ve really never had food?” Wanda asked him, looking into his eyes as she slipped a pair of shoes on. He did the same, and Vision shook his head, shrugging. 

He truly had not really thought what  _ life  _ was. He wasn’t programmed to think about such philosophical questions, he was programmed to be a weapon. He figured he was beginning to figure that out with Wanda, and she was the same with him. “No, truly. My body is fed through rest, and the recycling of energy in my systems.” He explained and he opened the door for her, and a small smile curled on her lips. “It is quite efficient, though, I suppose there are some disadvantages of it, though.” 

“Well, Vis… people don’t eat things for energy. Not all of the time. When you eat something, it’s an experience.” Wanda responded, holding the door for  _ him  _ as they exited the hotel. It was drizzling, and Vision had carried an umbrella. They stayed beside each other under the plastic, and Wanda looked out at the streets. There were tens of others on the streets, and cars passed by. It was a busy little town, but that was just it. It was a little town, its own pocket of Scotland. That meant not many knew of the fugitive status they had achieved, or bothered to even remember the faces of the Avengers. They walked down the street together, both of their hands holding the umbrella an inch above the other’s. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I believe it may be wise for me to not consume food again… perhaps.” Vision spoke as they walked home, and Wanda looked up to him with a small smile on her face as she looked at his goofy expression. Around an hour after his first bite of food, his speech seemed to slur, like the effect of intoxication and he grew more hyper. His laughter was louder, and he had spilled a small cup of food onto the carpet of the restaurant and she simply got them out before anyone, one, recognized her, or he embarrassed himself… or made her laugh a little too much. 

They had talked for almost two and a half straight hours, and it was like time was meaningless, but not necessarily in a bad way. It was like all they needed was time, and everything else was already in the positions to fall into place for the two of them. It felt odd for Wanda to have some sort of… happiness? That wasn’t supposed to be possible. She giggled softly and he almost tripped for a second, but she caught him. “Easy there.” Vision nodded, and under the thin level of unnecessary concern, she held a small smile. “So, I guess we know the consequences if you eat food. Eerily similar to…” 

“Intoxication, yes. My systems were not programmed to come into contact with food.” 

“Alright… let’s just get you to bed, Vision?” Wanda grinned and he nodded, his arm on her shoulder, as his steps were uneven and erratic. The streets were quiet and they strolled through the allies rather conspicuously, however, there was no one around, so Wanda took the fake glasses from her eyes and slipped them into his pocket so that she could help him walk without falling on his face. “Y’know, if you ignore everything… it’s kinda funny.” She giggled softly and he looked into her eyes, seeing the amusement on his face and her smile only grew when their gaze connected. 

Vision nodded, brushing a ray of hair from his eyes and blinking sporadically. “Yes, you are enjoying this, aren’t you?” Wanda laughed softly and innocently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He chuckled gently and they looked at the familiar hotel building before them and she held the door open for him and he slowly took each step foot by foot, looking down at his feet while he walked like he was a toddler. Wanda smiled and she took his hand after they boarded the elevator. “Perhaps it was just bad pasta.” Wanda laughed and her eyes shimmered with a certain glow as the elevator rose. 

He reacted like he was flying when the lift started to rise and she watched him in amusement, their hands still holding each other’s. “I feel a tad dizzy.” He admitted as they slowly walked down the corridor to their room and Wanda squeezed his hand. Her keys jingled when she took them from the pocket and Wanda released his hand to crank the metal into the door, seeing the familiar room that had become a makeshift home for them in the past month they had been alone together. Alone together… Wanda supposed that the sentence was funny, and somewhere in it there was a poetry. “I suppose I shall lie down for a moment.” Vision alerted her and the android sat beneath the bed’s covers, a slow headache painting itself across his temples. 

“Hey, Vis?” Wanda asked in a soft tone, and his eyes met hers. She slowly walked to his bedside and crouched so that they were at eye level. “Tonight was nice.” She smiled softly, kissing him on the cheek and she could feel the artificial blush of his cheeks. There was an intoxicated -yet gentle- smile on his face and he dipped his head, but after a moment of releasing him, he had quickly fallen asleep in his ached body. 

Wanda stood and sighed, laying beside him and taking a moment before allowing herself to raise his arm over her shoulder, and she laid her head on his sleeping chest. She felt comfortable here, she felt safe with him, and he felt the same with her. Her fingers pressed the power button of the remote and the familiar sitcoms she knew as the only comfort in her life now shared that title with him. Wanda could hear his heartbeat, and it was comical that he had a vibranium heart. It was clearly Stark’s handiwork. “‘Night.” Wanda murmured and laid above the blankets, though his arm was around her laying body and she gently placed her head on his chest. 

There was a deep blush on her cheeks and her heart danced rather quickly, but something -despite her flushed face- felt peaceful about this moment, and it felt like she could just be in this moment for hours. It was quiet and she looked at the television, feeling Vision’s chest rise and fall beneath her. He felt like safety to her, and she shut her eyes. The sound of rain echoed against the room and she felt her eyelashes slowly shutting closed with both of their arms holding the other. It felt peaceful like this. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

Where am I?  _ He asked, sitting up and seeing he was in a complete abyss of darkness, and out of the black there were sometimes blades of grass, or bullets. He furrowed his eyes and realized his artificial skin had fallen away and he was colored in a gray shade of his own body. The color his body usually inherited was gone and replaced with something much more cold. There were bodies around, and he realized they were the bodies of his own coworkers and friends, and the Avengers were piled around him. “Where…?” He murmured, and they flickered like they almost weren’t even real. There were rare flickers of wild flowers and grass, and some of the vegetation had a strange color of blood decorating it.  _

_ It was silent, and there was blood on their bodies. His chest rose and fell quickly and he looked around, his cape tattered to shreds and Vision watched as it fell behind him. Captain Rogers, Barton, Natasha… they all littered the floor around him and Vision felt his breath quickening. He called Wanda’s name when he saw the other corpses, and quickly, all of them were slowly eroding into dust, and he spotted a second of dark brown hair and his feet launched him forward. “Wanda?” He asked, kneeling besides her disintegrating body, but she was not dead like the others, she simply wouldn’t move. Her stare was dead, and there were quiet tears dripping from her cheeks to the floor she laid on. “Hey… hey.” He whispered, placing his hand on hers and looking down at her, but at his appearance, she almost looked sick. “Wanda?” He asked softly, looking at the tears in her eyes and she turned her head silently, but soon, the effect of her own body chipping away into dust had started. “No… no.” He pleaded and tried to help her somehow, but soon, his hands fell to the obsidian flooring and she was gone. She had fallen into dust that blew away across the floor. Vision’s breathing accelerated and he called her name again, and it was a pleading roar of desperation. “Wanda?!” Vision called, and he suddenly felt  _ so much more  _ alone in that moment. It was like a part of him had been stripped bare and he felt a tear rolling in his cheek. “Wanda…?”  _

_ Confusion and fear spilled through his veins and when he looked up, he noticed the gem embedded in his head was glowing madly and it lit up the abyss of darkness. Vision stopped, and he realized that perhaps it was not a nightmare. There was a feeling of sudden pain in his head and he roared, watching as the stone was seemingly torn from his head and he felt his body slinking to the floor in a desperate state for help. It felt like someone had taken the life from him… not just with this. It was violent. Vision gasped for air and his eyes were halfway open, and he watched as the mind stone imploded before him, and it was like someone was scorching every nerve ending in his body all at once, and then doing it again.  _

The light was blinding, and Wanda tried to shake Vision awake once again but the gem in his head was glowing so brightly. Subconsciously, she shut the curtains of the windows so that no one would see the deafening, amber light and realized just what exactly it was. “Vis… Vision!” Wanda whispered, desperately pushing his limbs to try and wake him. He was chillingly still, but the stone in his head was glowing wildly and it almost hurt to look at the gem. “Vision!” She called again, and finally, it was suddenly dark and his head rose with a shudder of his breath. Her eyes had been screwed shut and she slowly opened them, looking upwards and she saw him studying his own hands and looking perplexed by the color of his own body. 

Wanda slowly sat back on the bed and moved towards him, watching him carefully as his breath panted like a beast and his chest rose and sunk rapidly. “Hey, hey.” She whispered softly, taking his hand and he met her eyes, a look of terror in his gaze when he looked at her. “Vision?” Wanda asked him gently, sitting beside his body and staring directly into his eyes. 

“I… I am sorry. I do not… I don’t know what happened.” His voice sounded different than anything she had ever heard from him: he sounded dependent and suddenly ending the conversation, Vision wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. Wanda felt the fear constricting his body and quickly, she returned the gesture and felt his breath against her neck. “I am not sure.” He repeated, almost like whatever he had seen was an equation he could not solve. 

She felt his arms holding her body and Wanda turned her head, seeing his eyes shut nestled on her shoulder and the stone in his head still providing a dull light in the room. “I believe the… the stone was showing me…” His sentence died on his lips and Wanda tried to release herself to speak, but he held her tightly in a scared manner. Not roughly, his touch was gentle and protective, and it was like he was trying to block her. “I am sorry, this is uncharacteristic.” He murmured to himself, releasing her and she looked into his eyes. His hand was holding hers tightly and her studied each glimmer of her irises. 

“Vision…” Wanda whispered, dotting her eyelashes and watching the fear in his body language carefully. “Do you want me to…?” She asked softly and he nodded in the silent night. She dipped her head, slowly raising her hand to the center of his head and placing her fingers before the stone. A soft hue of scarlet wove its way into the stone and he felt a calm in her touch. She had done it before, used her ability to infiltrate the stone and calm him. It always soothed him, and it showed her care. “Do you want to tell me about it…?” Wanda asked in a quiet voice, looking into his eyes and then averting them back towards the gem. 

He was uncharacteristically quiet and she held his hand as she played with her magic. Wanda could feel the tension in his body through her powers, and she saw the fear and tragedy in his eyes. Wanda shut her eyes and transferred a small second of joy in herself, pressing it through her touch to him and his body relaxed. “Thank you.” He whispered and she gave him a weak smile, but it was silent again for a moment. “I do not know.” He finally looked into her eyes and saw the shimmers in her irises. Vision realized her beauty and his gaze on her eyes lingered. 

Vision hypothesized that it had not been a dream, it had been the stone warning him about something. It had been the stone warning him about the future. No, it wasn’t. He wasn’t accepting that answer, not after seeing Wanda fade away into nothingness. That couldn’t be her future, he wasn’t going to take that. No. No.  _ No,  _ That was the only word that traveled through his brain and he looked into Wanda’s eyes again, and once again, he embraced her tightly. She seemed taken aback for a moment and once again, she hugged him. “Alright.” She replied softly, letting him hold her. It was almost a minute of him just holding her and she was silent. 

Wanda was familiar with this. This stage, and this nightmare. Only, he hadn’t told her it was not a nightmare. But she didn’t need to know what he saw. “Hey… let’s get some air… okay?” She asked softly, pulling away gently and looking into his eyes with a small twinkle in her eyes. There was a comforting draw to her features and Vision was quiet for another moment before nodding. 

“Alright.” He agreed, nodding his head, and watching her slip her sneakers on. The winter’s cold cut away at her bare legs, as she only wore shorts, but she just saw the fear on Vision’s face and still held his hand. He sat on the bed for a moment and Wanda watched him, seeing that whatever he had seen truly set him off for a moment. She sighed, and took his shoes for him, slipping them onto his feet and tied the laces for him. 

“C’mon, Vis.” Her voice was so soft and innocent and he looked back to her. His artificial skin took over his body, and she could see the small marks of tire beneath his eyes and the puffed eyes he wore. Wanda had never seen Vision cry. This was the first time she had ever seen a tear on his cheek and she sat on the bed before him. Just as he had done the previous night for her, she gently wiped it away and looked into his eyes. 

Vision seemed to return for a moment and he nodded, holding her hand and they both slipped out of the hotel room, their footsteps quiet in the late hour. There were dots of thick snowflakes slipping through the black, cloudy sky. Wanda looked around at the quiet buildings. It was peaceful, and she looked to Vision beside her. He breathed in the fresh air, and it was clear whatever had terrified him in the ‘nightmare,’ -the warning- was slowly released in his exhale when he held her hand in the peaceful night. “I don’t think it was a nightmare, it was as if the… the stone was warning me.” 

“Warning you of what?” She responded softly, still holding his hand and a fresh, subtle tingle of goosebumps settled up her bare legs. The snow was wet, and didn’t stick to the concrete. It crunched underneath their feet, and the stone in his head peeked through his disguise. It was almost one in the morning, who was going to be looking intently at Vision’s head, and who would know what an Infinity stone looked like? Wanda doubted there were any S.H.I.E.L.D agents in the area. 

S.H.I.E.L.D had been hilariously silent after the Sokovia Accords, and none of the heroes were sure if it was because something had happened, or if Fury was too self-protective to make an act. Wanda had a strange theory that it was the ladder. “I do not know.” He shrugged, looking down towards the snow as they walked down the thin roads. There were the faint glows of signs and their grip on the other’s hand tightened. “It is like I have all of the pieces, but… it just does not fit together.” He sighed, fidgeting with his freehand and biting his nails anxiously. 

Wanda was familiar with the feeling. When she had first discovered her own powers at a young age, she was terrified. She never used to believe in these things, magic. She had no clue what her own powers were, she was a question mark to herself, but perhaps it was better that way. Wanda didn’t need to know what she was. She was fine with remaining a mystery. “Well… what did you see?”

He paused for a moment and avoided her eyes, and she watched every fiber of his expression move slowly. “I… do not remember.” Wanda knew he was lying, it was instantaneous. If she really wanted to know, she could look. But, she could see the fear and anxiety in his expressions and Wanda rubbed the skin of his hand in hers gently with friction and he looked down to her with a small smile.   
“Alright. Well… hey, why don’t we walk to that apartment you mentioned?” 

“Right now?” He asked, but it was clear by the expression in his face that he wanted to go. Wanda shrugged, and he smiled gently. “Well… alright. It is not too far from here.” They walked through the cold streets and they walked in close proximity to each other due to both of them not exactly wearing snow-suitable clothes. Her skin was a pale white, and… well it wasn’t exactly possible for an android to experience cold or hot. If he were to burn his hand, or fall into ice water, yes, there would be a reaction, but not like one a human would feel. 

There was a comfortable silence through the air and they approached a small apartment building that was lightly dusted with the hints of snow. There were three levels of a fire-escape that crawled up the brick building and she saw Vision’s anxious smile beside her. They approached the front doors, but they were closed due to the late hour. “Perhaps we could return tomorrow morning… it seems they are closed.” Vision commented and she smiled, looking at the ladder of the fire-escape that laid a few feet up in the air. The snow beneath it was slush, and she stood beneath the ladder.   
“Nah, just… hey, boost me up there.” Wanda pointed to the ladder, and he smiled, thinking she was joking but she waited for him beneath the iron, rusted ladder. The metal looked slippery and he shook his head, looking up at the medium sized drop. 

“It is too icy. You may slip.” He spoke and the gentle smile on her lips returned. Both of their cheeks were a rosy, scarlet shade and the freckles that dusted her cheeks were joined by the subtle clots of snow that slept on her eyelashes. After she had been shot and almost died in his arms, he was so protective of her, even if there was no harm. She knew what that felt like now. There was a cotton hat slipped onto her hair and snow dotted his golden hair. It shimmered under the moonlight and her sight lingered on him for a moment. “Can I not just levitate and release the ladder?” He asked, shrugging but she took his hand. 

Wanda was deadly serious when it came to not being caught and finally, after a small conversation, he complied. “I have totally seen this in a movie.” She joked and he chuckled under his breath, bending his knee down in the snow and she placed her shoe on his knee, jumping up and grabbing the two metal bars of the ladder quickly. Wanda pulled herself up with her muscles and felt him holding her shoe and helping her up. “See?” Wanda called down with a smile, though quickly, the ladder had jostled from its lock and slid down, though it had slid down while she was still on it. She gasped softly and screwed her eyes shut, and it came to a halting stop. Vision looked into her eyes, standing beside the fallen ladder with his arms crossed. “That was a success.” 

“Uh huh.” He smiled and followed her up the ladder, both of them keeping their grips tight due to the slippery metal. “Ah, wait. I have come up with another one.” They had made it a tradition to share terrible, poor-tasted jokes between each other, and they both shared a laugh. He enjoyed hearing her soft giggles of laughter, and she enjoyed seeing his charming smile. Their footsteps were audible on the metal staircase and Vision mentally remembered what floor and room it had been. “Why was the robot tired when it got home? It had a ‘hard drive.’”

Wanda laughed softly and they stopped in front of one window. “Here, I believe this is it.” Vision opened one of the windows quietly and stepped through the gap, Wanda following him. It was a humble flat, one room with a small bathroom on the side. “Well… here we are.” Vision smiled, watching her reaction as she looked around the room. It was bare, and the only furniture was a bed, and a television on the opposite wall. The room was on the corner of the building, and like the hotel room, there were several large, glass windows that looked out to the quiet streets. “I, urm… I figured we could furnish it ourselves, instead of using a stranger’s.” 

She looked back at him with a small smile and he squeezed her hand. “I love it.” They both shared a soft laugh and Vision held both of their hands, looking around at the medium sized apartment. There was a comfortable silence between them, and simultaneously, they looked into each other’s eyes, and then, they gently pressed their lips against the other’s, and they shared a soft kiss. 

What was he so afraid of? Wanda could protect herself, he was sure now they would be alright. He had his faith in the world, which was comically, a stark contradiction from Wanda. She had been through and done too much to have that privilege, but he would keep his determination for her and hold it for the two of them. “Thank you.” He murmured, looking into her eyes and their faces lingered a few inches from the other’s. 

“For what?” Wanda whispered in a low voice, and there was an intimate silence between them for a moment. Her hazel irises watched his and he smiled gently, looking down at her. Wanda was rather short, around five feet tall, perhaps a few inches higher. However, Vision was easily six feet tall, and was a full head taller than her. Occasionally he teased for it, and it always made her laugh. 

“Well… your being so short makes it quite easier to kiss you.” He grinned, and Wanda snickered, lowering her head with a massive smile on her face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for reading, guys <3 i also wanted to implement something new after this chapter, requests! if any of you want something specific for a chapter, just comment it and i'll get to it soon :3 i'm hyping myself up emotionally for friday ngl, XD. so excited for the new episode. anyway, enough ranting, have an amazing day, there'll be an update shortly. <3


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'It means love.'

They stood at the doorway of the apartment’s door and Vision watched her with an amused smile. There was a heavy bag and she pushed against it, but it wasn’t budging. Wanda could feel his smile and she tried to fight the curl of her lips, but she couldn’t. “Do you want me to try?” He laughed gently and she looked up to him, smiling at his happy expression. They had moved away from the hotel, after someone had recognized Wanda. It was just a matter of time, of course, and besides, they had the apartment Vision had found either way. It was time they left. 

Wanda was still so careful with being caught, there was a clear trauma she held from her time imprisoned in the Raft. Vision never pried, and neither did she. They both were fearful of the past, and both of them opened up to each other when they did. He hadn’t had one of those ‘warnings.’ Vision was glad. He could remember the vivid image of Wanda’s still body disintegrating in front of him and he could feel her fingers in his shifting into the texture of sand. That image taunted him, and he asked, he begged the theory that it wasn’t a nightmare to be expelled from his head. 

Wanda had noticed his temporary shift, of course, but as he never pushed her to speak, neither would she. They trusted each other, and that was why they worked well together. He understood her fear of being captured again, and that was why they were so careful. Vision never judged… and neither did she. 

_ It was late, and for once, it was not raining. Wanda had simply gone to get groceries, she wanted to try and cook something for Vision, maybe it would result in a more… positive ending. There had been a dying down of the news covering the Accords’ fugitives. Wanda was grateful for that, at least. They had been keeping weekly check in’s, like they promised. They split the burden of the calls and both took a hand in keeping their heads low. They cared about the other too much to be separated again. Wanda wondered what would happen occasionally, if they ever were to be caught. They would be locked up, obviously. She would be submitted to a straight jacket, and sedation, like always.  _

_ Wanda and Vision now had both hurt government agents, in self protection, yes… but they wouldn’t see it that way. If they were to be caught… they would likely not see each other unless Steve or any of the others would decide to break them out. Though, Wanda had been moved to a separate cell block the first time… what was to happen after she had hurt people? Maybe they weren’t innocent, maybe they were trying to hurt Vision… but she hurt them. Wanda would have to carry that burden forever. That hurt she had caused stood beside the lives she took in Lagos, and the deaths of her family… the death of Pietro.  _

_ She knew it was supposed to be her. Somewhere down deep in her she was sure she should have died and not him, but now, there was something different that brooded with the feeling. There was guilt. A shame because she knew that now, she wasn’t sure if she would trade lives with him. Months ago, Wanda would have laid her life down to reinstate her twin’s in not even a second’s thought. But… now? With the life that was forming with Vision and the brewing of their love… she would hesitate.  _

_ In her swarm of thoughts as she climbed the steps towards the room Vision and her shared, someone suddenly bumped past her and she dropped her bag on the plateau of the flooring. “Sorry.” Wanda murmured, despite the fact someone had ran into her. She bent down and picked up the food, carefully placing it back in the bag and keeping her head down. “I didn’t see you.” Wanda looked up for a second, and there was a man looking back at her. He was around her age and she squinted her eyes.  _

_ “Wait…” He had a Scottish accent and squinted his eyes. Wanda’s hair draped across half of her face and the man reached his  _ hand  _ forward. He had a perplexed look on his face and Wanda squinted her eyes as he pulled a piece of hair from her face to reveal her face. Still holding it, his eyes widened. “Oh, shit, you’re that lass on the news. Yer one of them mutant folks, aren’t you?” There was a visible layer of fear and disgust in his voice and Wanda shied away from him, taking the lock of hair back and blocking her face with it.  _

_ She shook her head, with her cheeks suddenly flushed and a layer of fear crawling up her spine. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Wanda shook her head, quickly bending down again and her fingers anxiously yanked the fallen food into the ripping, paper bag. She hoisted it up, her pace quick and fearful as she tried to escape the young man’s hard gaze. It was a stone glare and she noticed a small scar that ran through his left eye, sealing it shut permanently.  _

_ “Yeah… you do.” He decided, and his voice had changed slightly. Wanda tilted her head, and he assumed the scar had something to do with, in some way, the Avengers, the ones that called themselves heroes. Wanda shook her head, silent. She turned around, but the man took her hand and before she could even control it there was a spike of energy and he was sent backwards, his head striking the wall. Wanda gasped, her hand lingering over her mouth and she froze.  _

_ The intelligence in her knew she needed to get to the room, but the human in her carried her towards his body and she bent down, making sure he was breathing. Wanda had an issue. When she was emotional or scared, she had little control over her powers. Sometimes it was in her benefit, and sometimes it wasn’t. This was one of those times. “Shit.” Wanda cursed, shaking the man, but he was out cold. There was no blood, but she assumed he would have a nasty headache.  _

_ Wanda took a quick breath and she turned around, seeing the familiar, blood-red door that led to the room Vision and her shared.  _ ‘We need to get out of here.’  _ The ghostly Pietro whispered in her head and she curled her slightly shaking fingers into fists and rushed towards the door. The grocery bag was left forgotten by his sleeping figure and Wanda cursed when she realized she hadn’t taken her keys. There was a security camera in the corner of the corridor, and if the hotel had security, which it most likely did, there would probably be someone coming.  _

_ She knocked against the door quickly, and as soon as it opened she slipped inside, her irises still a dull scarlet. “Wanda? What is wrong?” Vision asked, eyeing her and watching her tuck the same lock of hair behind her ear.  _

_ “Someone recognized me, we need to go.” Wanda spoke quickly, and it was clear the fear of being imprisoned was surfacing again and in a quick fashion, she began shoving her things into her backpack, a fearful expression on her face. Vision watched her, a sad expression on his face when he saw the dull energy spontaneously radiating from her fingertips, and the fear on her face.  _

_ He witnessed the expression on her face when she was taken from him in the airport. That prison reminded her too much of Sokovia, and Sokovia held nightmares and trauma. “Alright.” He nodded, his voice a soft expression and she stopped for a moment. His voice calmed her down and she looked to the side, seeing his gaze watching her with a weak smile. “It’s alright… we shall be okay.” It was in a gentle tone, and Wanda’s fumbling hands stopped, and the dull, scarlet shade that ran through her eyes died away, and her beautiful, hazel-blue eyes returned. “Okay?”  _

_ “Okay.”  _ Eventually, they had gotten their bags into the room, and the sky had been painted in twinkling stars. There was a dim level of electricity, and the dim light of the stone in Vision’s head glowed in an amber light. It was quiet, and they both laid in the medium-sized bed. The day had been filled with shopping, and playfully arguing over what sheets went with what pillows, or what rug matched with what shelves. They both held dumb smiles on their face and it was clear the  _ normalcy  _ of the day had eased both of them. 

The temporary fear that had held Wanda after they escaped that hotel wore off and she felt a calm pause in her system. The ghost of Pietro had grown quieter in her mind with each day that passed. They felt… well, they felt normal. Vision felt human, Wanda felt as if she could breathe again. They felt like anyone else that inherited the streets, for the most part. Of course, each week there was the stark reminder that they were runaways, the days that Steve or Natasha called. The both of them moved around together, and migrated often. “ _ Zi:  _ that's the day.  _ Noapte _ ? Night.” Vision nodded, looking down on the pages of the book she held beside her. “Say it:  _ noapte. _ ” She murmured, looking into his eyes and he pulled a shy smile. 

“Nope… Nopte.” Wanda snickered and she dipped her head, a ray of hair falling before her eyes. “You were setting me up for failure, weren’t you?” He grinned and she nodded, a large grin on her face before her eyes traveled back down to the pages. 

His arm laid around her shoulder as they were both laid down, and her legs were curled up. “Possibly…” Wanda smiled, and they shared a quiet second of laughter. The dim light reflected on her soft skin, as she only wore shorts. The last sketches of Winter were dragging through Scotland, though it wasn’t exactly warm anytime of the year. “ _ Pământ:  _ Earth.” Her natural accent returned when she spoke the Sokvoian words, and Vision watched her fingers trail down the pages of the large, thick book. She had found a storybook in Sokovian, and the small smile she held when she looked down at it was like a breath of fresh air to Vision. 

“What is the story about?” He asked, looking down at her eyes trailing the words of the page. It was late in the night, probably around one or two. However, Vision had not slept in a few days. Or, slept regularly. He stirred, like he was preparing to wake himself up in a second’s notice. Though, the blinding luminescence of his light had not returned… but, he feared whatever he had seen. Vision owed her a debt, as she had employed her powers to scare away whatever vision had echoed in his mind. Since her powers had come from the stone, she was able to trick the gem into easing his body, or calming him down when he was afraid. 

He had never said what he saw, what had scared him so much. On the nights where she fell asleep before him, he would remain in consciousness and watch her chest rise and fall with life. Now, he knew  _ exactly  _ why she was so scared of something happening to him. Vision knew this type of terror, this new type of absolute fear that he had never experienced before. He pushed the sight of her disintegrating into nothingness before him away, and focused on her voice right in the present. “Hm, it’s about…” She looked down to the pages and read the old ink carefully. “It’s about a witch, and a fairy…” She observed, and they both smiled at the childish storybook. “And they were twins… and then it kind of goes off the rail.” 

Vision chuckled softly and she looked up, her eyes shining under the dim light of the Infinity stones. It was sad. As time went on, the Sokovian that was so natural to her blurred, and she had difficulty reading some of the sentences. Wanda looked back down, and she flipped through another page. There were small illustrations of critters on the edges of the papyrus pages. “What does that word mean?” He asked, pointing to a small word on the page and she was quiet for a moment, and shrugged. 

“I… don’t know.” She whispered, squinting down at it and then looking back up to him with a deep connection of their eyes. He studied the hazel pixels of her irises and the rich emerald glints that hid beneath the color.  _ Love… it means love.  _ Wanda thought to herself, but the connection was cut off by her small yawn, and she smiled sheepishly. “I think I might get some sleep.” They smiled and Vision nodded. She was too terrified to love someone again, but somewhere down in her subconscious she knew she had already fallen to that trick again. 

“Goodnight, Wanda.” He murmured, and she turned around, reaching for her lamp and laying down with her back turned to him. She laid above the sheet that covered the bed, as they had not yet bought any comforters for the apartment. They both were above them, and as she fell to slumber, Vision saw the subtle layer of goosebumps traveling up her legs. Mostly, since she was only wearing shorts. He took a small blanket they had gotten while shopping, and gently laid it across her body. Her eyelids were shut, and her eyelashes were weighed down by sleep. 

The apartment was one room, though it was rather large. There were three large glass windows at the front of the room that showed the view of the stars. They twinkled in the sky like massive signals, and he watched them carefully. What was the meaning of all of this? He had not been programmed for such philosophical questions. However, it was like being with Wanda… falling in love with her, as he hopelessly was, it was like dusting the dust off of an old book somewhere in the back of his mind. It was like there were entirely new systems benign etched into his body with each day, and Vision was learning new emotions. He was learning the emotion of  _ happiness,  _ and he now knew what the  _ feeling  _ of life was, when he used to sit around contemplating what the meaning was. 

However, since the disturbing vision that the stone had shown him, the peace was temporarily impaled by the sight of his friends’ bodies lying around him in some grassy knoll… the sight of his… well, they had never really labeled whatever had grown between them. Both of them knew they cared about the other, possibly more, and that kept them sewn together. Anyway, the sight of Wanda’s figuratively dead body laying on the floor in a tear-stricken haze had echoed in his mind ever since he saw it. 

Some part of him felt inclined to prove to himself that that vision was just a nightmare, and it was just the synthetic metals of his brain torturing him. Still, he simply looked to Wanda’s sleeping figure beside him and watched the rising and falling of her chest. He knew the feeling she had shared with him.  _ “It’s like I’m this bomb… and everyone I care about is in the blast radius.”  _ He sunk his head and burrowed himself under the blankets, keeping his eyes o nWanda as he fell asleep. Though, of course, it was not as peaceful. It was only around two or three days after he had seen… all of it. The images blew away with time, but his mind took the opportunity to torture him. 

_ And, so, here he was again. In this black void, and the gory bodies of the Avengers surrounded him as usual. There were small drops of blood, and he looked around, recognizing Captain Rogers, and Natasha, Dr.Banner, Mr. Stark, Clint, even Thor. All of them resided on the obsidian flooring. And, of course, the same scene played out, and the only noise was the silence. The bodies eroded away into dust, and he saw Wanda’s sitting body in the distance as he had foreseen, and he stepped forward, foot by foot with a cautious sexpression. He wasn’t supposed to even  _ have  _ nightmares, it was meant to be impossible. His amygdala was synthetic, and fear was not meant to be a part of his system. It wasn’t meant to be a part of him, and now it was.  _

_ He was almost thankful for it, he felt more human. But now, he knew, just as Ultron had said, humans were not built to last. That now included him… and it also included Wanda. Now Vision knew the terror she held in her, and he felt a sad empathy run through him. Wanda had felt it her whole life: the fear of trusting someone to survive. She couldn’t trust people with that task, and she couldn’t trust herself not to fall apart when they failed. That was why she had been so secluded and timid around him. He wasn’t supposed to be able to care about someone, it was meant to be impossible. It should have been impossible. And yet, she was uncovering things in him that he had never even discovered.  _

_ “Wanda.” He whispered, but he knew the events that were yet to transpire, he had seen the same scene three nights in a row now. Wanda didn’t think he noticed when she gave him her own relief and joy through her powers through the night. He now knew what the word ‘love meant,’ or at the very least, he was almost sure he knew how it felt. There was this rush that would run up his blood and quicken the pace of his heartbeat when he looked at Wanda. When he noted how beautiful she was there was this warmth at the end of his fingertips that made him feel fuzzy.  _

_Vision’s footsteps echoed across the obsidian flooring and there were ripples where he stood, like he was walking on water. Wanda was still. This time she was facing him, but her head was hung and her hair hung from her skull, not moving. It was like she was dead, but she very_ clearly _wasn’t. Her breath echoed through the pitch black pit of nothingness, and Vision watched her for a moment. He had not heard her cry before: he had heard her weep, he had_ seen _her cry. Never had he heard the specific, quiet sobs that were muffled by her hands that covered her face. He watched her carefully and felt a trill in the stone once again. He covered it, shading away the color and remembering his physical body beside Wanda, both of them sleeping peacefully. Both of them sleeping safely: together. He didn’t wish for the power over his abilities in the stone to slip, and God forbid, a beam accidentally shot out and hurt either of them, but more specifically her._ _  
__She had to subdue the stone the first time this had happened, so that exact situation didn’t happen. Vision subdued the energy running through his head and watched Wanda’s still, curled up body. Her legs were laid out to the side, and one hand laid beside her, holding something he wasn’t able to see. Wanda’s eyes were a broken state of the beautiful life they once held, and there was a thin, faded scar on the right side of her face. It looked a few days old. Maybe a week. “Wanda.” He whispered, finally reaching her and bending his knee so that their faces were at the same level._

_ When Wanda looked into his eyes, her gaze passed right through him, like he was a ghost. She shook her head, another tear spilling down her cheek, and she hid her head in her hands. “You aren’t real.” She whispered, and he could barely hear it. Her voice sounded broken, like something had smashed every nerve ending over and and over and over in the same place with a mallet. Vision shook his head, taking her hand, but for the first time since they had met, she ripped it from him and cowered it away in her chest like he had burned her with his touch.  _

_ “I am. I am right here.” He murmured softly, taking her hands from hiding her face and lifting her chin with his finger gently. “I am here.” Vision promised, and he suddenly wanted to wake up, because soon, just with the grace of his fingertips, Wanda’s skin began to chafe away into cracks of dust. Her rosy, soft skin settled in the shade of clay and sand, and it was like he was watching her die before him. “No, no. No, you can’t  _ leave. _ ” Vision shook his head, trying to keep her hand in his and squeezing it tightly, but soon, it sank down in the air and splashed in the obsidian water they stood on. “Wanda.” He spoke under his breath, raising his head and looking around desperately for her picture somewhere. She was always there, and he needed the sense of normalcy and safety she gave him. “Wanda!”  _

_ Stop.  _ He thought, opening his eyes and squeezing them shut again in a tired pause. Vision’s eyes then shot open and he looked beside him, seeing Wanda’s sleeping body. Her chest rose and fell with life and his eyelids fell shut once again in a fog of relief. He had never been one to be taunted by nightmares, or entertain the thought of them. However, the stone embedded in his head changed all of it, as they weren’t nightmares: they were warnings. They were warnings he wouldn’t allow. He wouldn’t allow the picture of Wanda dying in his arms to resonate and with that thought, he shut his eyes and quite literally subdued the memory in his mind. 

She had turned in the bed and her face was turned towards him, though her eyelids were weighed down by her lashes and Vision watched the peace in her features. There were the light dustings of freckles on her face and he could see the natural marks life had gifted her physically. There was a small scar on her neck, and he assumed she’d gotten in from the Sokovian bombings, as he had now seen that himself. The glass of the windows cut into both of the twins, and he was surprised she had even survived. They both were lucky in that aspect. 

Vision noticed the amber glow of the gem lodged in his head and he tapped it, reducing the light and dimming the room in the basking of nightlight once again. So, instead of going to sleep once again, he simply turned over above the sheets and faced her direction. Instead of closing his eyes, Vision laid his hands in Wanda’s and felt the warmth of her skin under her slumber. It wasn’t like the porcelain plastic that he had felt in his nightmare. It was life, and it was her. 

Even in her sleep, Wanda recognized him and the gentle touch he held her hand in. Her fingers laced around his gently, and a small tinge of a small placed itself on his lips. “The word means love.” He whispered softly, lifting her hand gently and kissing it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for reading! i know, guys, we're all emotionally dead after that finale of WV, so i thought some nice fluff would be fitting to cheer us up, right? requests are open, so if you want anything specific for a chapter, just comment it :3 for real though, that fricking last episode was devastating, but i'm pretty sure vision's still sticking around. i won't get in my theories here, but he is. anyhow, before i go on a rant, have a nice day! there should be an update this weekend. <3


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda teaches Vision a new skill.

“Here, wait. You need to tie your laces.” She bent down in the snow and her gloved fingers laced the aglets together quickly. The snow was twinkling through the sky slowly, and the thick flakes landed on the tips of her eyelashes. The sun was high in the sky and through the clouds, it shone down on the two of them. Vision wore his disguise, and now, he usually just lived in it. She enjoyed seeing the true him, but she didn’t really care. Vision was Vision. Love wasn’t for bodies. It was for souls. “Alright, now, lean on me it’s going to be…” She was cut off by Vision tumbling back in the snow with the ice-skates on the bottom of his feet. “Are you alright?” She laughed, bending on her knees beside him and looking at the snowflakes on the hints of stubble on his chin. 

He smiled, but suddenly, he tossed a snowball at Wanda and she gasped, throwing one into his chest and they both laughed softly. “Yes, I am alright.” He assured her, sitting up and leaning in the deep snow. She had found a small pond that was subtly placed in the town, and it was quiet. Pietro loved to ice-skate, and so, she took Vision. “These are horribly unbalanced.” Vision commented, looking at the bladed shoes and dusting the snow from the tips of his feet. 

Wanda nodded, looking to her own skates and carefully standing. “You just need to test the waters. C’mon, lean on me.” Wanda took his arm and helped him stand, and at first, he wobbled, but slowly, he steadied. “See, there you are.” There were five or six other skaters on the large pond, but it was reserved enough. Both of their cheeks had a rosy shade affixed on their skin, and when Wanda exhaled, her breath was visible. “Just… step by step.” 

Together, they hobbled towards the thick ice and Vision walked like a toddler who had just discovered they had legs. “Alright… this isn’t impossible, this is…” He almost slipped again and Wanda caught him, placing her hand on his back and holding him as they stepped onto the ice. “... slippery.” He concluded and she giggled softly, preparing to let go of him, but he held onto her. “Wait, wait, don’t leave me here.” He grinned, and watched her glide before him, holding both of his hands. 

“You’ve got it, just keep your feet even. Legs spread.” She ordered, but he kept his grip on her hands, and obliged. Vision spread his feet to fit into range with his shoulders, and evened them in a parallel manner. The ice was clear, and they could see the bubbles underneath. There was the bronze silhouette of leaves trapped in between the sheets of ice. “When you’re moving, take strides.” She released him for a moment and glided across the ice, circling him. “Like that?” 

He tried to glide and he took a step, but slipped backwards and Wanda extended her hand, catching him with a scarlet blanket behind him and she stood him up. “This is difficult.” Vision murmured, emerging from her energy and moving his feet again, but he skidded. Wanda smiled, gliding back towards him and hooking her arm with his. 

“Here, do what I do.” She spoke, meeting his eyes and then he looked down towards her skates as she glided across the ice, moving them slowly. He studied the pattern of her muscles and slowly, replicated it into his own flesh. “See? It’s not that difficult.” Wanda smiled, looking into his eyes for a moment and they slid across the ice in an autonomous, shared motion. “Pietro and I used to go all of the time, before the bombs.” Wanda smiled softly, remembering the memories and when she glazed across the ice, it was like a second sense. “It was  _ very  _ snowy in Sokovia, and very cold, too.” Vision watched her as she began to reminisce about her brother, but it wasn’t like it was for weeks prior, now… there was a smile on her face, and there were shimmers of glee in her eyes. Under the cold, her skin was a little brighter, but it still glowed in softness under the skin. “We had this… this sailboat he made, really just a raft, and we couldn’t swim. But we took it out  _ every  _ day.” 

Vision watched the subtle emotion in her eyes, but this emotion was a different one, it was new. It was happiness. It was something he had seen on her before but it seemed like after enough time, -as they had been on their own for a little more than a month and a half now- everything he had known in her, all of the grief was subdued. It matched his own emotion. The robotic, emotionless being he had once been was gone, and with her, he formed his own personality like pottery. “I do not know how to swim. It is ironic, but it wasn’t in my original programming.” 

“Well, when it’s… not below freezing outside, maybe we can learn.” They both smiled softly and soon, after a few minutes, their legs grew tired. If he slipped, she would catch him with her powers, since as the day grew later, there were few pedestrians walking by the trails beside the pond, and she allowed herself to save him from a nasty blow to the head. 

She did not fall. Mostly because she knew her way around the skates, and also, as they glided as one, his arm was around her waist so they moved together. If she slipped, he would catch her in an instant. It was cute. It was like part of him was always watching, just in the case the  _ miniscule  _ chance she slipped was brought to life. It was interesting, his mind was almost that of a child when experiencing something new. He commented, and he took in every ability to learn. “Well, when Mister Stark created me, I was programmed with different abilities. Cleaning,  _ fighting,  _ speaking different languages, playing most instruments-”

“Not cooking.” She grinned, and they shared a soft laugh, remembering both times he had nearly burnt down whatever hotel they resided in. However, it was always charming how hard he tried. 

“Yes, not cooking…” He smiled, looking back down towards the ice they skated on. “However, I never learned to do these small things… thank you for teaching me.”

Their eyes met and she hooked her arm around his again. “You’re welcome.” She dipped her head, a ray of hair falling from behind her ear and waving beside her eyes. He met her eyes, and they both shared a small, blushed smile. But suddenly, there was a spike in the ice before the tip of Vision’s skate and he was thrown forward. Her eyes widened and since their arms were hooked, she tumbled along with him. However, she raised her hands and caught him an inch from the ground before she fell, and she ended up falling onto his body in an accidental straddle. “Are you alright?” She laughed in an embarrassed fashion, and released her energy from underneath him, relinquishing the scarlet power from under Vision. 

“Yes… I believe I have not earned being trusted on ice-skates alone.” Wanda giggled softly and nodded her head. She realized she was almost sitting on his hips and quickly sat beside him instead with her cheeks a blood red. 

“Yeah, most likely.” Wanda agreed, a smile on her lips and she stood easily on the skates, extending her hand. It had been almost an hour of them just skating around the pond, just talking. He liked ‘just talking’ with her. Wanda was the only person he ever knew that didn’t see the need to fill silence with meaningless chatter. Words were weak. It was the connection and the emotion in one’s eyes that  _ he  _ favored. The shades of hazel and teal in her eyes matched his own, but he didn’t carry the scars and the life her irises did. 

She hooked her arm in his again and he carefully rose with her, relying on her easy balance to stand. Wanda easily glided across the ice and carried towards them towards the edge of the pond. “Do you want to go get something to eat?” She smiled, watching him unravel the laces of his skates and carefully placing his snow-boots on once again. “Perhaps something that won’t make you… woozy.” He chuckled and nodded his head, looking back towards the lights of the city beside him. 

Wanda untied her laces and tied the two shoes together, tossing them beside her and looking for the cases that she had brought for the blades. “Yes, perhaps.” He repeated, and as Wanda fumbled with the blade covers of the skates, she looked up and watched his eyes. Vision’s glance connected with her, and while she was distracted by him, the blade accidentally slipped through her hands and cut across her palm. She instantly looked down, hissing in pain and looking down to the small dots of blood on the center of her palm. 

“Ow… shit.” She cursed, holding her palm close to her and flexing her fingers back. Vision whispered something and he took her fingers, holding them gently.   
“Are you alright?” He asked, taking a small bundle of snow and holding it on the blood, slowing the excision of the blood. Wanda gritted her teeth and clenched her fingers tightly at the sudden, cold temperature. “My apologies.” He murmured, taking a handkerchief from his pocket and tying it around her hand with the snow underneath. 

Wanda watched him and he saw the deep intent in his eyes, and suddenly, she trusted him so much more. He cared about her. It was clear as he held her hand and tied a makeshift bandage that he cared about her. Vision wasn’t like the others, he wasn’t going to die. That was because she wouldn’t let him. If he even tried to she would damn the entire world before he died, and that was dangerous. That type of love was the only important type of love, but it was also the most dangerous, because it meant that someone would end up hurt. “What?” He asked softly after she had silently stared into his eyes for a few seconds, and he looked down to his hand holding hers lightly. “Pardon, am I hurting you?” 

“No, no. Just… thinking.” She shook her head, looking out to the pond around them and then back to him. Occasionally, the light of the mind stone would peak through his disguise, even if the simulacra of his cells itself remained. 

“Oh… yes, I do that sometimes, as well.” Wanda’s gaze loosened and she giggled lightly, and the sound of her laugh seemed to ease the constriction in his body slightly, and he joined her in his smile. 

“C’mon, let’s get something to eat.” She stood, holding her skates by the laces and he did the same. The snow creased underneath their weight and Vision nodded, still holding her hand gently. 

“Alright.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just some more fluff for today, and the next few chapters probably will be. it's going to be at LEAST around fifteenish -probably more- before endgame, you guys tell me how long you want before i start infinity war, though it won't be as sudden as their appearance in the movie, i'll put some more foreshadowing and building before that and then the scene of them in the trainstation after at least 2 or 3 chapters. anyhow! requests are currently open, so if you want something specific for a chapter, just comment it, and i'll see you guys in a few days <3


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'It's just this wave washing over me... and, it's just gonna drown me.'

I don’t know where I am. _Wanda admitted to herself, sighing and turning around. What would it be this time? Pietro, Vision? Her parents? What blood would she be coated in in this rendition of her nightmares? However, the longer she remained with Vision, the less frequent she experienced these moments of death in her dreams. Now, instead of her brother’s bullet-ridden body, or her parents’ burning corpses, she just saw him. He didn’t do anything, he didn’t say anything. Vision simply watched over her and created a peace instead of nightmares, and that was enough for her. She was falling in love with him, if she had not already._

Well? _She asked expectantly, studying the terrain around her and seeing the same pond she had taken Vision to a few days prior. She tilted her head in confusion and took a step forward on the ice, hearing the pressure her single footstep shattered across the lake, and she stopped. The water was a shade of pitch black, and from the depths, it was clear there was something floating towards the surface. Wanda turned around, she didn’t care to wake up and see what new method of torture her mind had created for her._

_Being imbued with the power of the mind stone was a burden, in more ways than one. It meant her mind had seen all the stone had, including the birth of Vision. But it meant somewhere, in the back of her mind, she held the familiarity of the birth of time, almost like she had been a firsthand account to the event. “Well…? Where are you, huh?” Wanda taunted with a cynical expression, sitting on the edge of the lake and watching the ripples of the free water that lived between the cracks in the ice._

_The moonlight shimmered down on it and she watched the luminescence of the night sky dance across the water, with the stars freckling the mass. It looked larger, like her sleep had grown the magnitude. It was silent, and there was no one around. She felt alone. It was eerie. Wanda crawled forward from her sitting position, Her hand reached forward towards the water, and she tapped the surface, watching as ripples cascaded out across the water in the moonlight. It was quiet for a moment, but then there was a rushing of water and from a few feet before her, she saw a hand break through the ice and grab around in the air._

_Its fingers looked decomposed, and Wanda watched carefully with a quickening in her breathing. Slowly, the hand grew into an arm, and then a biceps that began to rise in the air. It was clothed in scraps of grey and metallic patterns down its mass. More ice shattered as it rose, and there was another arm that pulled the body halfway out of the ice. It had dirty blonde hair and smears of blood across it. Wanda’s breath shuddered and she ducked her head, knowing what was coming._ _  
__He emerged from the ice, and his muscles pulled his body from the icy depths like the undead rising from a grave. His breaths were raspy, and it sounded like someone had torn his vocal cords out and he was trying his best with what he had. Finally, she saw Vision’s head. He looked almost dead, and the skin and muscle that was in his artificial skin seemed to have been beaten away by something blunt. There were trails of blood emerging from his eyes and Wanda shut her eyes, shaking her head._ This song again. _Wanda thought, but then there was the same sound of something shattering through the ice, and she saw another, paler hand beside Vision’s corpse, and it represented Pietro. “Just let me breathe.” Wanda whispered, curling her body up before the pond and hearing the dead bodies wade through the water towards her._

 _More and more emerged as the seconds went by, more faces, more_ dead _faces. Mama, Papa. They stood beside Pietro, their skin charred black and parts of their face completely missing. Her mother’s left eyeball almost hung from her head, and Wanda suddenly wanted to vomit. Wanda squeezed her eyes shut, feeling a tear roll down her rosy cheeks and she wiped it quickly. She ordered her body to wake up, but it wouldn’t listen. Wanda held a ball of scarlet energy in her hands and tossed it against her fingers in pain to try and trick her body to wake up, but it didn’t work .The energy rose to the sky and the ozone atmosphere was suddenly a blood red._

_Pietro and her parents’ bodies were at the edge of the water, and Wanda looked up to see their decomposed faces, but suddenly, they grabbed her legs and she screamed, trying to claw her way out. “Stop!” Wanda squealed, kicking against their cold, stiff hands. However, they didn’t even flinch, and they were dragging her into the water. “Please.” She whispered, grabbing onto a bundle of the land to try and keep herself from slipping into the water, but their grip on her ankles was tight and she felt the freezing water seize her skin and she shivered violently._

_Wanda screamed again, but soon, her entire body was coated in the freezing water and then suddenly, the violent grip the corpses of her family held on her vanished, and she looked up from underneath the water. However, the ice had frozen above her and she realized she was stuck. Wanda called out, but it was silent underneath the water and air bubbles released from her mouth. She pounded against the ice, but it had grown in thickness. Wanda could see feet standing above her, and she realized it was the corpses of Vision and Pietro, watching her as she drowned._

_She pressed her hands against the ice and shut her eyes, breeding scarlet energy from her fingertips and trying to melt it away, but it didn’t budge. Wanda felt the breath from her chest being taken and she coughed, releasing more air. Her hands beat against the surface, but there was no chance of breaking it, and she shut her eyes, trying one last time to push any energy against the ice, but it failed. Water seized the inside of her lungs and soon, she felt her eyes close._

The first thing she did was seize the air around her and she launched up, entering a coughing fit. There was a thin layer of sweat that had broken across her forehead and Wanda heard the small clatter of a few objects and realized she had been holding half of the room with her powers. Someone was holding her carefully and she coughed again, taking a quick inhale and holding her head with her hand. “Wanda.” Vision murmured, and she realized his hand in hers, and he held her grip tightly, but it was different then in her nightmare. He was holding her, his arms were around her and she was caught in a tight hug. Vision looked scared, he looked frightened. It was gentle, and caring… and scared. There were tears that had already been spilling down her cheeks, and she looked up. Her body had been liberated from the blankets and she was sitting above them, her limbs all curled tightly. “Wanda, do not panic, it was just a dream.” She listened to his voice and the panting of her breath _very_ slowly became more drawn out. 

Their eyes met and then she looked away, looking down to her hands and seeing a small tint of scarlet on some of the objects in the room, and she had involuntarily been holding them. "You are... you're here with me." He assured her, still holding her and he listened to her gentle weeps, but it was clear she was trying to restrict them. Wanda covered her lips and coughed into her hand once more, fighting back her tears. "Wanda...?" He asked once more, and it was in a soft voice... barely above a whisper. Her hands cupped her face and she whispered something under her breath that he couldn’t understand, it was Sokovian. She was quiet as she recovered from the nightmare and he watched every movement she played carefully. Her breathing was drawn out and quick at the same time and Wanda focused on how he gently drew his hand across her back, trying to soothe her. 

“You… you were yelling, I was trying to wake you up.” He whispered softly, and she sniffled, holding her head and shaking it lightly. His hand laid on her back, as he did not know what else would bring her comfort, and gently, he stroked her back… in an attempt to soothe her. Abruptly, Wanda got up, her legs stumbling but then she caught her balance. She was dressed in shorts, and the thin layer of sweat on her skin was clear, but the cold air was washing it off of her. “Wanda?” He asked, looking at her eyes but she broke the gaze and looked down.

“I need some air.” She whispered softly, an apologetic and fearful look on her features. She looked scared, no… she looked terrified. Vision got up and reached for her hand, but she had already fled into the corridor. Vision watched as the door closed gently behind her. He sat, holding the blankets they had been sat in in his hand and he released the fabric, looking down and then standing, as well.   
Wanda gently flew up and she sat on the edge of the roof, her feet and legs bare. It was cold, and a subtle shiver ran down her spine, but she remembered the feeling of water filling her lungs and the look of anyone she had ever cared about decomposing and dying before her. She wasn’t sure why this nightmare in particular haunted her so much, she simply knew she just needed the grace of cold air against her steamed skin. Her cheeks were flushed and her wavy hair fell over her shoulders. There was a tear that dripped down her cheek and it fell down to the street below her. 

She didn’t know why exactly she had pushed Vision away, he allowed her to aid him after any nightmare he had. She thought he didn’t notice when she translated her own happiness into his through the filter of her powers, but he did. Wanda had once cared about everyone, and then she lost everyone, and now she didn’t know how. Vision was teaching her, and slowly, she dusted off the practice of love. Meanwhile, Vision’s mind -when he had first been conceived in the Cradle, at least- was like that of a school-child. He was always trying to learn and through the difficult skill of love, he was uncovering the secrets of humans and he was discovering more. It was entertaining to watch the wonder he experienced with each day he learned something new. 

The picture of Vision and Pietro’s corpses staring deep into her eyes, looking for any help had been burned into her mind and she shut her eyes, covering her face with her hands. They were soft and she pulled a strand of hair behind her ear, but the same curl fell between her eyes once again. _Why can’t I just live normally?_ Wanda asked, sighing and feeling her own hot breath shoot back in her face and running through her skin. She wanted this. She wanted this peace with Vision. 

Wanda looked out towards the city they now abided in, and she felt another tear roll down her cheek slowly, though it already lived in her eye. Wanda wanted this _life_ , this was what she had wanted since her parents’ deaths. She just wanted some sense of normalcy, even if it wasn’t probable. But now, now that she _had that,_ all of these memories and all of this anxiety surfaced in her, because that always happened when she cared about someone. It was always like this: the quiet before the storm. They were happy here, the both of them. There was a love brewing between them, and it was unspoken, but it was clear. There was a deep caring about each other. That’s why she wasn’t surprised when she heard a footstep behind her. “How’d you know I was up here…?” Wanda asked softly, her voice still muffled slightly due to the fact that she hadn’t moved her hands from holding her head. A tear dropped from her cheek, and Vision quickly approached her. _Please, don’t cry. It hurts when you cry._ He thought, furrowing his eyebrows and he lowered himself onto the ground beside her, letting his legs hang off the edge of the roof as she did. 

Wanda’s hair drifted around her and loosened a finger to see him sitting beside her. She expected him to watch her as he usually did, but instead he looked out to the city as she did, and she wiped her face with her sleeve, then dropping her hands. “You like the stars.” He answered in a whisper, and her eyes glanced to the bright stars above them. She smiled softly and nodded, her hand still holding her head. Wanda looked tired, and he slowly moved himself closer to her so that he could carefully place his arm around her. Vision gave her time to shy away, but she didn’t, and Wanda looked into his eyes, with her own slightly puffy. “I know we have not been… ‘together’ for much time, but I still worry about you… no one deserves to be alone.” Vision murmured softly, watching the tension on her face ease slightly. He looked down, lacing his fingers around hers and holding her hand in his. 

“Sorry.” Wanda whispered, feeling apologetic for leaving and looking into his eyes. The pain he had seen on her face drifted away, but it wasn’t gone. 

“How do you do it?” Vision asked her, watching her eyelashes blink as she bore her sight into every single blemish on his skin, or the hint of stubble at the peak of his chin. She thought he was handsome, in both forms. Wanda tilted her head in confusion, and he dipped his head.

"Do... do what?" Wanda whispered, shaking her head and watching as he took a deep sigh. Vision watched the snow-dusted streets below, but the last licks of Winter had escaped the year, and now, Spring began to concieve itself through the country. 

“How do you pretend you are alright?” Vision watched her eyes carefully and she stared blankly, quiet. 

The question caught her off guard, as it was not usual for him to be so dramatically blunt. It was a stark change from his usual self. “I… I’m not.” She responded softly, but they both knew it wasn’t the truth. She put up her own walls that kept everyone out, and they never dropped, but he was learning how to climb. 

“Yes, you are.” Vision whispered, and she broke her gaze away, looking to the ground stories beneath their feet. The wind whistled slightly and a ray of hair blew between Wanda’s eyes. She self-consciously pulled it behind the flesh of her ear and the rosy shade on her cheeks made his own skin crawl into a blush. After losing Pietro, some part of her knew this would be her future. Trying to move past it until the next tragedy occurred. 

She played with her fingers and looked into his eyes again, but then looked away. “I lost him twice.” She whispered all of a sudden, and he watched her stare out towards the lights of the city, her eyes twinkling with the reflections of the stars and the buildings. Her tears had cleared, and she was just in a state of fatigue now. Whatever fear that had been in her dissipated the moment he put his arm around her. “Pietro.” She repeated, staring in his eyes and he watched her, tilting his head and a ray of hair blocked his eye. “When we volunteered, they never told us. One day, he just… wasn’t there. I was just… alone.” 

Vision’s hand on hers tightened and Wanda smiled sadly, laying her head down on the space between his neck and his shoulder. His arm settled around her and held her close to him. The shyness and intimidation that had been there when they were first on their own fell away with the sleepless nights, and soon, those too started to die. “I thought when we ‘retired’ that everything would go away like magic, but… I’m so tired.” Wanda murmured, shutting her eyes, but it was clear she wasn’t going back to sleep. “It’s like this wave just pushing me down over and over, and… whenever I try to get up, it just comes again. And, it… it’s just going to drown me.” Wanda murmured, shaking her head and clearing her throat. 

“No… it won’t.” Vision swore and she looked up into his eyes, a layer of sadness in her irises. This was the most open either of them had either been with each other, and it was clear it eased both of them slightly. They were the two most secluded Avengers, or… ‘ex-Avengers.’ But, now, with each other, it was like the mute paralysis they’d been kept in simultaneously had been broken. 

“How do you know?” Wanda murmured, and the weak tone of voice he’d never heard from her made something in him turn. It was like he could feel his circuits bending in sorrow and he swallowed.

“Because… you will never be alone again.” He smiled gently, and Wanda looked into his eyes, seeing the caution and the care in his eyes. Vision held up his hand and extended his pinky, and Wanda released a sad, soft laughter. They locked pinkies, but soon just held each other’s hand and Wanda focused on the grip he held around her, and she leaned into it. 

“Thanks, Vizh…” She whispered, and the sense of panic and fear that had been venturing through her body dissipated. The stiffness in her body had relaxed, and Vision’s eyes settled on her as she wiped the prior, dry tears from her face. He felt something in his heart leap when he realized he had made her feel better, and there was a weak smile on his face. Both of their eyes settled on the dwindling lights of the city and she felt a small rush of cold run up her bare legs and feet. 

“Ah, here.” Vision murmured, taking a throw blanket from beside him and he threw it around both of their shoulders, and she pulled her legs into her arms and looked up at him. Their eyes connected, and she could see the uncertainty in his eyes. Their faces were almost drawn to each other and gently, their lips connected and their foreheads leaned against each other. Their breath echoed across each other, and Vision sadly smiled. _It’s okay._ He wanted to tell her, and she focuse don the warmth of the blanket, and they watched the sun rise. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading guys :p i wanted to implement that scene from WandaVision eventually, so I thought i'd just do something like this and include it here. I hope you guys liked it, it was fun to write. :3 anyway, update in some time, requests are still open, and that's pretty much it for today. hope you have an amazing week <3


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She promised they'd learn how to swim together.

Wanda had to call Natasha before they left, their weekly check in was running late and she didn’t want to look out of the apartment’s windows to suddenly see a quin-jet drawing from the sky. As usual, Wanda slipped two quarters into the metallic design of the phone, and she listened to the dial tone. Her fingertips coiled against the number keys and soon, there was a small bell in her ear as the phone rang. Almost instantly, it picked up and she smiled. “Sorry, we got… caught up, I should’ve called earlier.” 

_ ‘It’s probably less risky, anyway.’  _ Natasha almost sounded tired, and Wanda’s small smile faltered for a moment. “We’re… we’re good here.” She murmured and honestly, she wasn’t sure what else to say. They were alright on money, it wasn't like either of them could get a job. Wanda wasn't a citizen, and anyway, it was too risky, just in case anyone recognized her. And Vision would probably burn the place down, Wanda always teased him for it, but it made both of them laugh. Steve had given them an 'emergency card,' and conveniently, Stark didn't seem to notice spending on the Avengers' lease. It really did seem like in some way, perhaps they were still a team. No one wanted Germany to happen: and it took a toll out of all of them. Vision filled that hole for her, and she for him. Natasha and Steve, -and Sam- all had each other, and of course, Clint had his family, and Wanda. It was clear the danger and tire that came with being a fugitive was settling on Natasha, however, and it was the same state Wanda had been in weeks ago, before Vision and her went off alone. Alone and together. “How’s Steve?” Wanda kept her voice low and looked in the corridor, making sure that no one was around. The apartment was quiet, and most of the other tenants were either quite young or quite old, there wasn’t much balance in the spectrum. 

She found the little, old couples cute… part of her saw Vision and herself in the couplings, and Wanda realized… that was what she wanted…? Wanda would never admit it, of course, she was too terrified to admit she held that number of affection and love for him. It was unreliable. Not him, he was the most trustworthy being she had met in her lifetime. He was so innocent it made her feel warm, but there was an issue with that. He trusted everyone, and she realized that in the absolute difference they were held in, it was the thing that brought them together. Natasha murmured in her ear and she listened to her speak. 

Honestly, Natasha was the only other woman in the team, and the only female influence Wanda had known since her mother died. Occasionally, right after Pietro died, Natasha would simply just sit there beside Wanda. She knew what it felt like.  _ “Don’t you ever miss them?” Wanda shrugged her shoulders, clearing her throat and watching as Natasha placed a small bundle of clothing beside Wanda’s spot on the bed. There was a drizzle outside, and Wanda looked out at the compound. She saw Steve and Sam jogging through the weather, both of their bodies dusted in rain.  _

_ “Of course I do.” Natasha sat beside her, looking at the young girl. Natasha was different from the others, she was the only one who truly understood the feeling of pain that resonated in Wanda. Vision tried to, and she thought the effort was sweet, but it was redundant. “It doesn’t matter how you lost them, or when. It doesn’t matter how many times you told them you loved them, they’re still dead.” Wanda looked up from the morbid statement and she saw that Natasha was talking in her own experience. Clint treated Wanda the same way he did his closest friend, and she saw the same tire in Natasha whenever the others gave her a pity look. “They… he lives in you now. Every thought of his name, everytime you speak of him. That’s his life now. And when you mope around, you’re killing him.” _

_ It was tough love, but it resonated deep inside of her and for the first time in the month that Pietro had been dead, Wanda truly lifted her head. There was a comfortable silence and both of them aired their pain and Wanda turned her head, looking at Natasha. “I’m sorry… for what I did to you.” Wanda spoke, breaking the quiet and Natasha met her eyes.  _

_ “I don’t judge people for their mistakes.” She shrugged, and Wanda smiled softly, nodding. She looked out to the window. Pietro’s grave was visible, but just barely. “Plus… too many guys around here, we’ve gotta stick together.” They shared a soft laugh and Natasha watched her as there was a moment of relief that seemed to wash over Wanda.  _

“How’s Vision?” Wanda smiled softly, and Natasha listened closely from the other side. She was the only one Wanda had told, because other than Vision, Natasha was the only one who  _ truly  _ understood her. They both had experienced so much pain, but the difference was that Natasha was healing. Wanda was just pushing it down. Tragedy after tragedy, Wanda learned to just push it down. It went away soon enough, that or she would just become numb. But… this was different now. 

She realized, in every single equation of her tragedy, the so called ‘heroes,’ including herself, were there. Her parents: it was Stark who had murdered them, and if Pietro had moved a moment slower, both of them would’ve been slaughtered. When she lost Pietro, it was her own stupidity and failure to get to him that had caused that. There was this tightening in her gut when he left her at that church, and part of her knew what was going to happen. Somewhere deep down, she knew. And, of course, the days and weeks, and years that she had been imprisoned in Sokovia. Every day she wondered:  _ is this the day I see Pietro again?  _ They had been separated almost instantly, and Wanda became a shell of herself. “We’re good.” She reciprocated Natasha’s answer and there was a small chuckle on the other side of the line. 

_ ‘Look, I… I’m trying to clear things up here. Tony’s ego betrays us. I think you’re pretty well versed on that front… I don’t know how long it’s gonna be like this, just… survive.’  _ Natasha’s voice was quiet for a second, and she sighed, breathing into the phone and there was someone else’s voice on the other side. There was a silence and Wanda dipped her head, a ray of hair falling between her eyes. “You know I can’t go back, Nat… you know I don’t want to… we don’t.” Wanda murmured, and there was no response on the other side of the phone, but it wasn’t a judgmental silence: it was just… peace.  _ ‘I know. Honestly, wish I could do the same thing sometimes. A vacation sounds nice.’  _ Natasha sighed and Wanda leaned against the wall, smiling softly.  _ ‘I’ve got to track, before Steve accidentally burns the hotel down. Stay safe, and-’  _

“I know. Vis’ll check in in a few days.” Natasha spoke into her ear once more before the line cut and she was left in silence. Wanda sighed, looking back towards the room and hanging the phone on the hook. Vision had found something, and that was why she wore a bathing suit underneath her clothes. He had promised her that they would learn to swim together. It had been about a week since the last nightmare from either of them, and it was like things had grown peaceful for a moment. There was a break in the storm and the sun was shining through, except, the sun was him. 

She stepped back towards the door and gently wrapped it, hearing the creak of the wood against her fist. “You ready?” Wanda smirked, and he nodded his head, zipping his jacket up and holding their backpack on his shoulders. 

“Yes.” He nodded, and out of instinct, their hands slipped into each other’s as they approached the melted pond. It had been time since they skated across it, not much but the duration was long enough for the ice to melt, and warm enough so the water was not freezing to the touch. Could androids get cold? She asked herself that question and every now and then, if they were sharing a kiss, he would shudder… though she didn’t know it wasn’t because of the cold. He was simply so infatuated with her, and as his love grew the knowledge he had been so obsessed with seemed less important. “Here, wait, I have come up with one more… what do you get if you cross a robot with a rock band? Heavy metal.” 

It had become a tradition between them to see who exactly it was who could tell the worst joke, and when he heard her soft laughter, he smiled. “Alright, here we are.” Wanda raised her arms, looking to the medium sized pond before them and she stepped towards the edge. And, no, her mind didn’t torture her with the thought of her nightmare. With Vision beside her, quite literally holding her hand, she smiled. “Do you think it’ll be cold?” She asked him, but the sky was clearly colored blue, and there were clouds dotting the sky. 

“I am unsure, synthezoids cannot feel the hot or the cold.” He shrugged, but he sat at the edge of the water, untying the lace of his hiking boots and slipping the shoes beside him. Wanda released his hand and settled herself next to him as well, following him as they carefully removed their clothing. But, they both wore bathing suits underneath their clothing. “It does not feel terribly cold.” He spoke with a tiny smile, dipping his hand in the water after pulling his sleeves up. “But, it would be unsavory for you to catch a cold, so…” He paused when he saw her smiling softly up at him and he nodded, grinning shyly. “Pardon: rambling.” 

They both shared a gentle laugh as Wanda pulled the fabric of her shirt over her head, showing her one-piece suit under her skin and she gently placed the fabric behind her. Vision’s sight lingered for a moment and he felt a red tint on his cheeks as she then slipped her shorts off and dipped the tips of her feet into the water. Wanda looked up, seeing her sight lingering on her and for a moment, she seemed self-conscious, but then she smiled for a second. “You’re beautiful.” He whispered, a shy expression on his features, and her cheeks suddenly burnt a bright red. 

“You’re beautiful, too.” She whispered with a small, flush smile, and they shared a singular, happy look in their eyes and it stayed for a moment, and Wanda looked down to pull her hair to one side of her head. It dipped into the water and slowly, she stopped standing but she slipped under the water with a small squeak and quickly Vision pulled her up with a mocking smile. “Alright, that’s a no then.” Wanda beamed, blowing a wet strand of hair out of her face and slicking it back. The water surrounded her and carefully, she almost pulled him in, but he resisted, releasing her hand to slip his shirt over his head. “It isn’t that bad.” Wanda smiled sheepishly, slowly feeling the cold water sink around her soft skin and there was a tingle on the heels of her feet. “Just a little chilly.” And she depended on his hand to stay afloat, but his biceps held her weight easily. 

Vision smiled and slowly, after he had been left in the shorts of his bathing suit, dipped his legs into the space of the water beside her. He did not wear his disguise, as the pond was in a more secluded area, and she studied the pattern of vibranium and violet skin on his chest, and there was a rose pixelation that fixed her cheeks. Slowly, their clothing laid beside the pond and Wanda cascaded ripples across the water, watching its effect. There was a guppy that swam through the water. Wanda bended her knees and held the edge of the land to keep herself afloat, as she didn’t want to touch the mucky and slimy bottom of the water. 

Their eyes met and the embarrassment from being in only bathing suits fell away, and there was an ease of comfort in both of them. “I am not sure how exactly… I think you wave your arms and legs.” Vision remarked, letting his legs float but he slowly sunk and stood again. Wanda smiled as he tried again and a splash of water landed on his cheek. “Or, perhaps just… flail your arms.” He attempted that as well, but once again, he splashed himself and Wanda giggled softly, shaking her head. 

Even though she did not know how to swim, like her walk, she gracefully floated in the water naturally. “Just… float. Lean on your back, and hold your breath.” Wanda shut her eyes as she did so, and quickly, she smiled and floated through the water with the peak of her chest and knees surfacing from the water. It was a peace that settled through the pond, and it was almost like breaking the silence was forbidden. “See?” She softly smiled, and he watched as she glided through the water with her limbs extended as if she were a starfish.   
Wanda looked up when she heard a splash, and she grinned when she saw his failing attempts. He broke the surface of the water and soon was submerged beneath, but he surfaced quickly with the golden hair on his head brushed messily. “I think I’ll try flailing again.” He responded and Wanda grinned, standing again beside him and she held his hand in the chilly water. There was a sleepiness, as it was late in the afternoon, around three or four. However, the sun was still dipped in the basking light of the sky and it lit the earth. 

“Here, lie on your back.” When he sunk underwater for a moment again, the stone in his head had illuminated the water underneath and it provided a faint glow and the water warmed. But then, he surfaced again and Wanda smiled, taking both of his hands. “Just trust me.” 

“Alright.” He almost instantly responded, and slowly, laid on his back in the water. Vision almost sunk again, but he felt Wanda’s hands holding his shoulders and he floated, and Vision smiled. He liked to learn, he liked learning new things, and the enchantment in his wet features was clear. They swam around together, and Vision watched her natural grace, and then the brute struggle that was adept in his body to keep him alive. “It almost feels like flying.” He commented, swimming through the water again and hearing the ripple of the waters. 

Wanda nodded, following him and under the water, her hair was alight with fiery copper and chestnut colors, like it was enchanted. It flew behind her head magically, and extended down to the nape of her back. “It sort of does.” When she shut her eyes and slinked under the surface, he followed and watched her peaceful features beneath the water. Everything was silent down there, and she smiled, her eyes shut. It was all just black and quiet, and then, still, she could feel his presence before her. 

Every other foot in the small lake there were lily pads, and bright, daisy flowers laid atop them like a bed. And when she surfaced, she felt Vision splash her and she opened her eyes, brushing her eyelashes dry, but they were proven longer by the droplets of water resting on them. They both laughed like children, and for a moment it felt like they were. Soon, she splashed him back and the stone in his head glowed. “Hey, urm… why don’t robots ever get scared?” 

“Why?” 

“They have nerves of steel.” The silence that lingered in the air broke, and at the same time, both of them laughed and looked into each other’s eyes. He had teal glints in his eyes and Wanda studied the reflection of her own body in his pupils, and watched how the light burrowed into the shadows of his irises. She treaded the water with her arms and slowly and it rippled around her. They both laid on their backs in the water and held each other’s hand, floating through the water. They had been swimming for quite a while, so in a tired fashion, they both looked up towards the sky and it was quiet. 

This was what they both wanted: no fighting, no death, and no fear. It was the two of them just floating through the pond and their fingers laced around each other. “You know… this isn’t that bad.” Wanda murmured, referring to her fear of the water and Vision smiled, looking up towards the sky and then looking beside her, watching her eyelashes shut. This was a peace that he had seen in her rarely, and there was some sort of peace that then resided in him because of that. 

“It isn’t… is it?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading, guys! I've wanted to do more fluff, so prepare for some more :3 requests are still open, so if you want something specific for a chapter, comment it :3 that's all for now, i've been writing some more comfort-fluff to cope after that finale lol. there'll be an update soon, probably a day or 2, and that's all for now. have an amazing day! <3


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'True love comes quietly, without banners, or flashing lights. If you hear bells, get your ears checked.'

_ ‘Good morning.’ ‘Morning… and such a lovely one, isn’t it? Aren’t I lucky to have such a handsome next door neighbor?’  _ The television whispered as they both settled in the bed and night settled across the sky. Wanda’s hair was still damp from their visit to the pond earlier in the day, and shemussed it with her fingers, shaking the water out and then sitting down in the bed. Her skin was soft in the moonlight, as she only wore shorts and the sheets obscured her feet. Vision’s hair had already dried, and he wore no disguise. The metal and vibranium patterns of his skin were covered by his sleeves and his pajama pants. “This episode is good.” 

“You really have memorized every moment of these, haven’t you?” 

“What, you underestimated me?” She smiled, crossing her legs and sitting beside him. His body was below the comforter, and he rubbed the fabric between his thumbs gently. “I watched these everyday, and of course, these are what my mind chooses to remember.” Wanda grinned sheepishly, and she watched the television carefully. He felt some sort of pride in him. Now, when Wanda discussed Sokovia, she no longer had the same, broken expression on her face. There was no smile, don’t be mistaken, but there were no tears.  _ ‘See anything interesting?’  _

There was a comfortable silence that was woven between them, and that was what Wanda appreciated. The blissful silence, but the silence wasn’t quiet. It spoke, the connection between them spoke to the other, and everything was out in the open, but still, it was safe.  _ ‘Interesting? Hm, I’m not sure  _ that’s  _ the right word. I’d certainly call him attractive.’  _ Wanda smiled as the laugh track played and she fumbled with the tips of her sleeves as the episode commenced. It seemed this sitcom was her favorite, and she thought it was rather appropriate, considering how relatable the premise was to her. It was one that PIetro had loved. Perhaps that was another reason that she loved it so. 

_ ‘Wouldn’t you? You might even say he was… beautiful. I mean, for that type of man. He can’t help but be stunning, can he? I mean, in that outfit, with his slick hair and that suit?’  _ The laugh track, once again, played and Vision directed his sight towards Wanda, but she always had a focus on the sitcoms whenever they appeared. It was like one of the few connections that lived to Sokovia for her, when they were countries away.  _ ‘I was talking about the newspaper.’  _

Wanda laid back against the pillow, beside Vision and their eyes met for a second, and there was a comfort in the gaze, an understanding. “Is it alright if… I embrace you?” He asked, and Wanda smiled at the patience and the respect that they shared for the other. There was this fuzzy warmth at the bottom of her body and she nodded as they laid down, and carefully, Vision laid behind her and his arm settled around her gently. It felt safe, and nice. His breath reflected on the back of her head as they subtly cuddled, and he could see her face since he was much taller than her. She was almost a foot shorter than him, just short -literally- by around two or three inches. He teased her, but it always brought a smile to her lips and that was what he cherished. It was what he prided himself on.  _ ‘Oh, yes, well… I’ve got closets to clean, dishes to wash, and that new neighbor to spy on. Can’t let Gladys Kravitz have all the fun.’ ‘Well, why isn’t her husband helping her, huh? She doesn’t seem like our kind of people.’  _ Vision watched the television carefully, and looked down to Wanda, though her eyes had already shut. Her skin was a fair complexion, and the light freckles on her cheeks were dusted by the usual, rosy shade. Her eyelashes shadowed her skin and he watched the beauty in her face. She had fallen asleep in his arms. 

Her breath was drawn and he could feel the vibrations in his muscles, and it was like their life forces were fused.  _ ‘Oh, aren’t you nice? Thanks, Mister… Good Samaritan.’  _ The actress’ voice was fair and a lower tone, almost like Wanda’s. There was still a trace of her accent when she spoke, but as the months went on, -they had been alone together for almost three months, and both of them knew the only thing they wanted was more time- it flattened out. Wanda didn’t like it, but he thought she sounded beautiful. But to her, it was like as she spent more time away from Pietro’s death, the traces of Sokovia in her blood were fading and the own memories of her home were fading. 

_ ‘Welcome to morning glory circle, dear! I’ll give you a hand, don’t you worry. Say, a dame like you got a husband? He any good?’  _ Vision’s head turned away from her and towards the television, and in his context, there was a sick irony to the words. In a self-conscious act, after minutes of just holding her and listening to her breath and the  _ life  _ in it, he ever so carefully released her, careful not to wake her. He stood from the bed and traveled to the bathroom that was an extension to the small room, and after quietly shutting the door, his hand found the switch. 

Through the glass, he bore his eyes into their reflection and the bursting luminescence of the mind stone shaded his violet skin. The patterns on his skin had been engineered, fabricated and slaved over by the world’s most eccentric genius: Mister Stark. Vision remembered the first words he could recall from Pietro Maximoff’s funeral that Wanda had spoken.  _ ‘Does a slave not praise their master?’  _ Of course, he could remember each moment he had shared with Wanda, part of him thought that those were the most cherished memories he held in his systems. The rest of him knew it. 

_ ‘Gee, look at all them medals, and trophies, and stuff. She’s a real winner.’  _ Vision thought this was the universe simply trolling him with the ironic words of the show. But he listened to them, and he listened to the sentences. He remembered every single sign of beauty on Wanda’s face, and he remembered how  _ infatuated  _ with her he was. Every wave of her hair, each blink of her dark eyelashes… she was perfect. And he was a lab experiment. He was the second attempt of a genocidal android. The stone in his head grew in brightness for a moment, but it then resided to its original coloring. He was this, this… this thing. This abnormality. He wasn’t even  _ human.  _ How was he meant to amount to the greatness of humans, when he -a year ago- had not even been liberated from the iron will of his programming. 

Wanda was the one who made Vision Vision. Stark was the one who had made him a stale robot. Wanda was the one who made him alive… but he wasn’t  _ human.  _ He looked human, sometimes. He felt human himself, but he had violet blood and purple shades of skin. How was he supposed to be deserving of her? Wanda was so… she was so perfect. She was so beautiful, and her hazel irises were illuminated with perfection. Wanda was the only one who didn’t fill silence with useless drivel and conversation, and she felt like safety to him.  _ Was he human?  _

Vision could remember the feeling of life crawling into his circuits, and he could remember all of the  _ noise  _ in his head, all of the orders in his systems. It was quiet now. Because of her. Was he the one to deserve that? She was perfection, and perfection chose… him? A nearly failed lab experiment? Though, she often referred to herself as a monster, as well, and each time he saw that destroyed look in her eyes when she was reminded of any of the traumas in her life, it felt like something was exploding inside of him. It felt like something was  _ wrong,  _ and like the laws of nature had been subsided. 

He stared into his reflection, and switched his artificial skin on and off simultaneously. Was it tight enough of a lie? Was the disguise well enough? He brushed his golden hair aside and straightened his posture, raising his head. Wanda never let him think such a thing, the small smile that she wore when she was with him assured him of himself, and the corners of his lips tugged at a smile. Vision was good enough. He believed in this thing he had come to know as fate. If he wasn’t good enough, and if this love that he held with Wanda was only temporary, well… then Ultron should have killed him, too. This was life. Wanda was his life.  _ I love you.  _ He thought, tightening his grip on the countertop but then, it relaxed and he grinned sheepishly to himself. 

There was this odd, warm sensation that spread from the curling of his toes to his cheeks, and it felt like he was sitting before a bonfire. The sparks whirled through the air and they erupted into the starry sky. The bonfire was growing warmer and warmer, and he looked back towards the light switch of the bathroom, shutting it off and carefully opening the door. Wanda still laid down in the bed and her hair was covering her face. He sat beside her and the mattress squeaked quietly under his weight. 

On his wrist, he had a singular scar, about the size of a penny. He had been given it by Ultron, as only vibranium could harm vibranium. There were patterns of violet skin and metal along his skin that were hidden underneath his sleeves and his pajama shirt. When he laid underneath the comforter and felt the soft blankets, instead of watching the television, he simply turned his body and took Wanda’s offer, holding her gently. 

His arms held her torso and his right hand laid limp on her shoulder. He could feel her breathing underneath his hand and slowly, it eased him to sleep. That was the first time that had happened in a day or two. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a new day, and still, they awoke tangled in each other’s arms. It was like they both awoke at the same time and Wanda’s eyelashes fluttered for a second, and she felt Vision surrounding her. The changing in Vision’s breathing signaled to her that he was awake as well. But, when she felt Vision’s arms hugging her gently, she shut her eyes again and just wanted to go back to sleep like this. Today was another ‘check-in’ day, that was what she had deemed them. It was her turn again, as Vision had taken the previous week with Steve. 

The rain was pouring down and it almost sounded like gunfire, it was so heavy. Slowly, Vision released her and when the mattress lifted, she turned her head and saw him getting up. His hair was messed and the corners of her mouth tugged slightly. He was the most advanced android, no, he wasn’t an android, he was  _ Vision _ . Either way, for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out how to function a hair brush. “Morning.” Wanda whispered, and she felt the small traces of a headache ringing between her ears, but she slowly mustered the strength to lean on her elbows and look out towards the dirty skies. 

“Not a day for swimming.” He joked and she smiled, laying her head down in the pillow and laughing gently. 

“No, it isn’t.” Eventually, they both started moving, and it was almost comical that an android could get tired. However, Wanda also knew how hilariously paranoid Clint got when she was late to check in with him, so she still resided in her pajamas but there she was once again, slipping coins into the pay phone. The dial tone had almost become a familiar lullaby to her, and in that second, she was reminded of the small lullabies her mother had sung to her when Pietro and her were about to sleep. 

Clint was the one that called her the most, it was risky for all parties involved. Technically, he was on house arrest. S.H.I.E.L.D, in its grave, had spared him and given him a sort of plea deal so that his children didn’t have to grow up with a father in and out of high-security prisons. It was hilarious that S.H.I.E.L.D had  _ finally  _ decided to step in after the Accords, even though it was all but buried. Or at least, the idea of it. Clint was there after Sokovia, and there had been a few times that he let her visit home with him. Apparently, she shared that privilege with Natasha and no one else. 

_ ‘Alright, place that in there. Pull it back. Careful, it’s gonna have a kick.’ He held her hand and guided her arm to help her pull back the draw of the bow. There was a quiver that laid beside her feet and a few arrows laid in the leather. Apparently, it was his old set, his first archery set. ‘You know I can move things with my mind, right?’ She smiled and he scoffed, shaking his head and drawing his own bow beside her. In a moment, an arrow sliced through the Autumn air and landed directly in the center of the straw target before them. ‘Magic is magic, skill is skill.’ ‘Ouch.’ She smiled, and focused on the arrow in her hands.  _

_ For a second, the arrow almost slid up the string, but she steadied it with her abilities. However, Clint took it and held it with his thumb. ‘No cheating.’ ‘Winning isn’t cheating, old man.’ He scoffed once again and guided her hand back into the center. Wanda shut her left eye and focused on the aim, but he shook his head. ‘That’s a myth, it doesn’t actually help… just blurs everything.’ _

_ ‘Alright.’ She nodded, and slowly, the arrow slipped in her grip as she let it go and it ran through the air, landing a few inches beneath his. ‘Not terrible.’ Clint shrugged, slinging his quiver over his shoulder and taking the bow from her, and once again, there was a bullseye and his first arrow was split in half. ‘Showoff.’ Wanda squinted her eyes, shaking her head but he handed her the bow once again.  _

_ It was the first time that she had truly smiled and not thought about Pietro for a good few weeks, and Clint watched the small second of happiness on her features. Her hair blew in the wind, but he had made her tie it back when shooting. He didn’t actually care, but it made Wanda laugh for a second. He’d been in that grief before, and he knew how much a single smile meant. He knew how much a tiny break from that roaring depression could hold. ‘Here, why don’t you keep it? You can use it as an excuse to get out of training.’ Clint gracefully slicked the bow from his back and held it in front of her, and she looked up to him. Wanda carefully inspected his expressions and then looked down to the bow that he had slipped in her hand. ‘Are you sure…?’  _

_ ‘Yeah, I’ve gotta get it out before Lila accidentally kills something, anyway, so…’ Wanda actually laughed, and he watched it, almost surprised. Clint felt a sense of… it was pride? This was unprecedented. He never really built a connection with any team members, of course with Natasha being the exception. They both were there for each other, and they had almost become a chaotic pair of siblings. But this… this kid. This kid that he had sworn to hunt months ago, now she… she  _ meant  _ something to him… like what Lila meant to him. ‘Alright… thanks, Clint.’  _

It had almost been half of a year since she had seen him, and it almost felt like  _ loss.  _ She cared about him, and Wanda actually missed him. See, she never really had someone to look up to. At ten, she witnessed both of her parents’ bodies being charred to death, and that pushed her away from caring about anyone like that again. But, now it was different with him. Clint was someone she could look up to, and time and time again, he realized this, and she realized  _ his  _ care for him, and time and time again, he would tell her;  _ ‘I am not the example you want.’  _ But they both knew that was the most he was going to try to push her away. 

She was almost excited as she pressed the familiar numbers and heard the song of the dial-tone echo in her head, and then finally, there was a small  _ crack  _ of static and he picked up.  _ “Clint?”  _ She asked, and there was a smile visible in her voice.  _ ‘Wanda?’  _ It wasn’t his voice, but instead, much more high pitched, and she grinned. “Cooper?” Wanda grinned, and she heard the giggles of some more children on the other side of the phone. “Can you get your Daddy for me?” She smiled softly, and it was weird how much she beamed when she thought of the kids. They looked up to her, and she suddenly realized what CLint meant when he said:  _ ‘find a better role model.’  _ She was  _ certainly  _ not the best thing to look up to. Wanda herself was absolutely a mess, but not so much. At least, with Vision, they were a mess together. 

_ ‘Ummmm… Daddy’s out on the tractor. I’ll go get him.’  _ “Thanks, Coop.” It was clear by the static that he had set the phone down on the counter and Wanda smiled to herself, anxiously itching the fabric of her shirt and patiently awaiting Clint. The kids were so amazing, Lila, Cooper, and Nathaniel. Barton’s pride, undoubtedly. And of course, Laura. God, she was the only other woman influence that Wanda had in her life besides Natasha. Natasha was amazing, and she shared similarities with Laura, in which both of them had helped Wanda with her grief after Sokovia. Though, Laura was certainly less restricted, and she just… well, she just  _ openly  _ took in Wanda. That concept was almost confusing to her. 

Wanda grinned whenever she thought of the times she had returned to Clint’s barn after Pietro’s death, mostly just to get away from all of the ‘superhero’ things. Clint would try to teach her archery, and she’d humor him, but after every other minute, one of the children would come up and ask Wanda to do magic tricks. It annoyed Clint, not  _ seriously _ , but… it always made Wanda laugh. It was cute. It was like living in a room where the walls shrunk with each day. Clint seemed to understand that. He seemed to have a problem balancing hero life and his family, and he knew it. However, Laura was moral to a fault, and it was never of any consequence. She was so perfect, and beautiful. It was what Wanda aspired to be, and the woman really took the damaged girl under her wing. Maybe Clint had asked her to, but neither of them knew how much it had saved her right after Pietro’s death. 

_ ‘Look, just draw it like this.’ Clint held the tips of her fingers and together, they shot it and it sailed through the air. Wanda smiled gently, and the blue sky above shone down on the pair. ‘Not bad, Hawkeye.’ He took the bow from her and slid the quiver over his shoulder, laying it on a bench beside the straw target. The air seemed lighter, compared to the compound. It was more liberated, and it smelled sweet instead of the familiar scent of iron, and Stark’s machines. Laura and the kids had gone out, so it was just them, and there was crying from inside the house. ‘Sounds like someone woke up.’ ‘Hey, he kinda sounds like you.’ Wanda teased, following him towards the house.  _

_ ‘Oh, hah hah.’ He barked, and gently tiptoed towards the crib, looking down at Nathaniel in the crib. Clint cooed and Wanda watched him with an entertained expression. She crossed her arms and leaned on a beam that laid at the edge of the kitchen. His original bow and quiver laid on a coat-rack beside Lila’s radiant, purple coat. It was a metaphor for their life. ‘You know, we finally came up with a second name for the little brat.’ She stifled a laugh, and looked over to the child. His crying had ceased and there was a small, blue pacifier between his lips. ‘And?’ She asked with the natural, small smile on her face.  _

_ Clint noticed that she wore it exclusively when he brought her with him on his visits back home. The rides -usually around an hour or two- were just empathetic hours of peace and silence. He enjoyed it, as like the others, she didn’t find the need to fill every single second with conversation of useless topics. They just both relaxed, and they spoke through the quiet. It was a mutual understanding. He really did care about her. They had first met around three or four years after Lila was first born, and that's why Clint recognized exactly  _ what  _ he felt about Wanda. He really did paternally care about her. Though of course, Lila had never lost her parents, Lila had never lost her brother, Lia had never had to kill people. So it was the same, and it was different. ‘Well, Wanda, you are looking at Nathaniel Pietro Barton.’  _

_ He looked up at her and it was clear by the freezing of her features that there was a tensing around her heart. Wanda smiled sadly and she looked at the infant with a new gaze, almost like she was looking at Pietro. Just for a second, but then she breathed and nodded with a tear in her eye. ‘That’s a good name.’ _

The phone picked up and she felt the tiny amount of loss in her from missing Clint fade away as she heard his voice.  _ ‘Kiddo, you there?’  _ “Yeah, I’m here.” She smiled, leaning against the wall and letting the back of her head be supported by the plaster. There were photo frames on the walls and it grooved against her hair. Their conversation played along and she wore a toothy grin. “Oh, Vis taught me how to swim.” She exhaled, and beamed. Clint breathed on the other side and she imagined him through the phone. 

Clint tinkered with the tools that hid in his metallic, copper toolbox. It was a hand-me-down from Stark. There was clinking of a wrench against the tractor and his hands were stained with grime and oil.  _ Vis?  _ He thought, but he didn’t say it.  _ ‘Uh huh.’  _ Clint nodded, and there was a small smile on his lips. He had the traces of stubble on his chin and she recognized his straight, brunette hair. There were Lila and Cooper tossing a soccer ball outside the ranch, but no one would tell them that wasn’t how soccer was played. “Oh, and we went ice-skating, I found this little pond by the apartment.” 

_ ‘Uh huh.’  _ He repeated, and she didn’t recognize the tone of his voice, it was… different. As they spent more time apart, either of them wanted to call each other more. They had been so used to each other, but now, they hadn’t seen each other in months. “You know what…? I almost miss the compound.” She didn’t miss it that much, but without talking about Vision, there wasn’t much to discuss. And Clint treated her like his daughter, and he was so traditional, in the best way. He probably wouldn’t understand.  _ ‘Nat told me.’  _ He chuckled, and she realized some portion of that thought had come out loud. “What?” Wanda squeaked, and she felt her face flush in a red shade, and there was a roaring of her blood in her ears. 

She imagined him once again, and saw him carefully expressing the phone that had found a home in his hands. His oily hands performed surgery on the tracker and it was laid on the hood of the machine. He had a blank expression that she couldn’t read, but there was some level of defense and protection in him, but not directed for himself.  _ ‘Nat.’  _ He repeated, and she shut her eyes, exhaling deeply and leaning against the wall. Vision had gone out to shop,  _ ‘Spy’s a spy.’  _ He joked and she laughed softly, a constriction still in her fingers. Now, she was the one to say: “Uh huh.” Wanda nodded, shutting her eyes and she heard him teasing her from the other side.  _ ‘Sorry, I’m trying to decide on which line I should use.’  _ She giggled softly and shook her head with red cheeks. “How’s the tractor going?” Wanda asked, and Clint smiled at the clear attempt to change the conversation. 

There were two Wanda’s that he knew,  _ Wanda  _ Wanda. The one he knew, the brave one that charged into battle to protect his life, and the one who saved so many lives. And then, of course, there was the one that  _ she  _ thought she was: the one who killed people in Lagos, and the one who was just a victim of everything she’d endured during her life. After Pietro’s death, she had almost become  _ that  _ one entirely. Now, though…  _ Wanda  _ Wanda was returning, and he realized there was some sort of a causality of her being alone with Vision, and the restoration of herself. Maybe the android wasn’t so bad.  _ ‘Eh, the engine's busted. This old thing runs for a week at a time, I swear.’  _ “Why do you even use it anymore, it’s not the gold rush.” 

Clint smiled and shook his head, snickering under his breath.  _ ‘It’s classy.’  _ He shrugged, and she heard the clinking of more metal against the spark plugs and the engine.  _ ‘Ah, shit.’  _ She heard the eruption of sparks and giggled softly. “Sounds like it’s going well… did you check the piston?” She asked, and his silence answered the question, but finally, there was the small sound of an engine. “Uh huh.” She repeated, and Clint was commercially silent on the other side of the line.  _ ‘Yeah, I definitely checked that before, must’ve been something else.’  _ Clint shrugged and Wanda smiled, her cheeks still bright from earlier. 

There was the approach of footsteps down the hallway and she turned her head, seeing Vision emerging from the stairs. He waved, and Wanda smiled, speaking a hello back. She looked back down into the phone and cleared her throat. “Hey, I’ve gotta go for a sec, here, I’ll leave you with Vis-”  _ ‘Wanda. Wanda, I don’t want to-’  _ “Sorry, I can’t hear you.” She smiled, and she left the phone hanging for a moment. “Trade?” Wanda asked, taking the bag from Vision and he smiled. 

“I suppose.” He nodded, and Wanda took his keys, pushing them into the door and opening it. When she turned around, she heard Vision speaking and even though he was miles away, Wanda could see him in his barn, and she could see the phone laying on the running tractor, and she saw his smirk. Wanda smiled as she shut the door behind her, and she placed the bag of groceries on the countertop. The apartment was furbished to comfort, and that was enough. There were layers of sheets and blankets on the bed, and they were thrashed slightly due to either of them not really remembering how to make beds, but the effort counted, right? 

There was a single dresser with a lamp beside each side of the bed, and Wanda’s side was the left, closest to the windows. Vision’s was the right. On Wanda’s dresser, there was a dusty and faded, small photograph of Pietro. Around half the size of a wallet. It wasn’t a current photo, of course, it was the two of them. A Halloween night years ago, when they were ten. It was probably just a month or two before the bombs. She looked out towards the corridor, and heard Vision’s uneven and stammering dialogue and Wanda grinned sheepishly. 

_‘Wanda’s been through a lot.’_ Clint spoke and Vision bore his eyes into the dark, maroon door that led to the apartment as Barton lectured the android through the phone. “Yes, she has, I suppose.” He responded, and it took everything in him not to stumble. She’d tease him about it sometimes, but it was fair, considering it was every other hour that he would poke fun at her for being a little more than five feet tall. It was simply revenge. _‘And she’s been hurt a lot.’_ Clint spoke slowly, almost if Vision was a child he was lecturing.   
Vision shut his eyes and he nodded, not remembering Barton could not see him. It was true, she had. Obviously the bombings, and obviously Sokovia, and obviously losing Pietro, and obviously having to live afterwards while he didn’t, and Vision suddenly felt naseuous by how many times he had used the word ‘obviously’ while discussing what she had been through in the span of _nineteen years_ of life. Nineteen years, and there was enough pain for a lifetime. “Yes… she has.” His voice was a little softer, and he heard a shuffling of breath on the other side of the phone. He knew that Barton and Wanda were close, especially after Pietro’s death. He also knew that Clint was really the only one there for her, before Vision’s ‘friendship’ with her started. Part of him felt… gratefulness? He didn’t realize he was that close with Wanda, though, now he did. _I am in love with her._ He realized in his mind, and when he opened his eyes, he realized he had said it out loud. 

It was just his thoughts escaping him, but he had blurted it out and as soon as he realized he had, he screwed his mouth shut. Hopefully, the door was thick enough so that Wanda didn’t hear it, as well. There was a thick brightening of his cheeks and he shut his eyes, cursing himself. This time, he made sure he didn’t see it.  _ ‘Uh huh…’  _ Was Barton’s response, and the archer stared into the phone, his expressions frozen for a moment. There was an awkward silence and then there was the tinkering of more tools on the other side. He wasn’t supposed to worry about this situation until… later. But, now, with his care for Wanda, he had abided and taken the young girl under his wing, almost like… almost like a daughter. Clint now realized that. 

He heard Lila’s giggles from outside the barn and he turned his head away from the phone for a moment, watching his children run around the property, their hair whipping around. Clint turned his vision back to the small flip phone and sighed, running his greasy and oily hands through his hair. There was dirt under his nails and he inhaled slowly. He realized… as he pondered it more, at least; Clint realized… he actually thought of Wanda as a daughter of sorts. When he thought about her, when he spoke to her: it was the same way he spoke to Lila, and he looked at her the same way. He protected her the same way.  _ ‘She’s been hurt.’  _ He continued, his voice low and grave, and he leaned closer to the phone, it still laid on the hood of the rusty tractor.  _ ‘I might not be the strongest, and I know you can kick my ass… but if she ends up hurt  _ again _ , and it’s because of you, I promise: I will hunt you down. _ ’ 

Vision swallowed and he looked at the plastic phone, his shoulders leaning down for a second. “Urm… we won’t… you won’t have to worry about that.” He stammered and his grip on the phone tightened.  _ ‘Okay. Good.’  _ Clint’s voice was rough and like tires skidding against a concrete road. He had lowered his voice, perhaps to sound intimidating, or something like that. Usually, when he thought about being a father, he thought about changing dirty diapers, or letting himself be beaten at board games. This was a new division of ‘parenting,’ and with Wanda, it was different, but he still cared about her like that. Plus, as much as he tried to fight it, she looked up to him. The first thing he had said to her when he saw hinting at it…  _ ‘Kid, I’m not a good example.’ ‘Yeah, well, who is now?’  _ She was older than she was supposed to be at such a young age. 

_ ‘If she gets hurt under your watch-’ _

“You’ll kill me.” The silence after had shown he was correct and Clint nodded, and even if Vision couldn’t see him, he could see the motivation in his eyes.  _ ‘Yeah.’  _ He responded quietly, and Clint cleared his throat, looking down to the phone and picking it up again. The metal was stained slightly with oil and grime and he leaned into the phone, his face still serious.  _ It could… it could be worse.  _ He thought gravely, and he cleared his throat.  _ ‘Alright.’  _ That was the most approval he was getting, Vision could tell, but he would take it.  _ ‘Next check-in’s two days.’  _ A second later, the phone crackled and it hung up, and Vision held a tiny smile. He felt like he succeeded in something. 

Clint shut the phone and he quickly cracked it in two, tossing it towards the hay piles at the ends of the barn. Technically, he wasn’t supposed to be contacting  _ anyone _ under the rules of his house arrest, or… farm arrest, but: Wanda was worth it, and she still needed him. And, even though he wouldn’t admit it, he needed her, too. And, after taking her under his wing and being so used to having her two doors down, it felt empty without her there. This was weird, he wasn’t used to being this close with team members? But… well, they bonded, and he looked at her differently… like he looked at Lila. 

He smiled when he heard the kids’ laughs beyond the doors of the barn and he stood, wiping his hands with a dirty handkerchief and forgetting the broken phone.  _ It could be worse.  _ He shrugged, thinking of Wanda and Vision. Apparently they were ‘dating’ now. That was new. Before Natasha told him he had figured it, but he never asked. It was Wanda’s privacy, and it would’ve been uncomfortable to tell him anyway, so he understood. Clint’s feet would sink in the mud for a second due to the recent rain, and he trudged towards the house again. 

Lila and Cooper still ran around, chasing each other and he smiled. Clint was lucky. He knew he was. After Germany, he should be rotting in a cell, and he was lucky to even have the privilege of seeing his family. But, he couldn’t push that life on Laura, or the kids. It was selfish. He had grown up without a father, and he wasn’t going to submit anyone to that… maybe that was why he took Wanda in so quickly. “So? How’d it go?” He heard Laura ask from the kitchen, looking at him through the screen door. She wore a smile, and for a moment, he just watched her. After having to stay in the Raft, he knew it was a privilege to be gifted with seeing her each day. 

“Next time, I’m leaving it to you.” She laughed softly and her fingers held a sponge, scrubbing it against the glass dishes. He reached over and kissed the top of her head gently, and then looked down to Nathaniel in his crib. He was sleeping, and his brunette curls of hair were messed due to his slumber. Clint smiled. He was so lucky. “Didn’t think I’d have to be worrying about this so soon.” He grinned, and Laura looked back at him, smiling. 

“Well… you did a good job, I’m sure.” She took his hand and sat beside him, both of them leaning on the edge of the couch. Clint chuckled under his breath and they both watched Nathaniel as he slept. He was so lucky. 

Clint really did care about her, Wanda, that is. He wasn’t sure before the Raft, he was reluctant. But after they took her away in the Raft, put her in a different part of the prison, and after he learned what that pressure in his veins was when they did, he knew that it wasn’t only her who needed him, but the feeling was reciprocated. He looked to her like a daughter, he realized. 

_ It was quiet. It wasn’t like the mood was exactly cheery, Clint didn’t even know if he was going to see his family anytime soon. Scott seemed to have the same mindset, as he paced back and forth in the cage, and Clint couldn’t read minds, not like Wanda, but see his daughter’s name in his thoughts. Cassie.  _ Lila.  _ He thought, shutting his eyes and already chanting his family’s names in his head like he was insane, and it had only been two or three days. He couldn’t remember which.  _

_ Stark appeared the previous day, and that was that. Wanda tried to read him, and she shared her attempts with the others, but her powers were weakened. It was clear she was the most powerful among them: she didn’t need a suit like Sam, or Scott. And she didn’t need a weapon, like Clint. Wanda just…  _ was.  _ If she wanted to, even in her straight jacket, she could level the entire prison and get them out in a second. And so, they had taken away the opportunity. When they first took them, they had supplied her a steady level of… something, in the form of a syringe. Wanda didn’t even react when they tried to anymore, it was like this wasn’t the first time it had happened. That scared Clint. This  _ girl,  _ this  _ young girl  _ had been through things he couldn’t even imagine. One of the worst things he had ever seen was  _ her  _ brother’s staggering body breathing for a moment. ‘Did you see that coming?’ And then he fell, and blood began to drift from his torso and his limbs. Rigor mortis was already settling in, and his last breath was his sister’s name. And, that was on him. He could’ve gone for that kid a second later, or if he was just a little quicker. Clint could’ve found cover, he was sure of it. There would have been  _ some  _ way to make sure that Wanda didn’t lose her brother, and in those ten seconds, he couldn’t find it.  _

_ That was why, when he looked to Wanda’s cell before him, he saw a dead expression looking at the tiled floor. At least they hadn’t physically hurt her. Sam had an array of bruises on his face and his body, and some of it was hidden by his skin, but most of it wasn’t. Scott and Clint both joined him in that, if they looked the wrong way, or if they spoke, there were consequences. The consequences for  _ them  _ was being struck, or just a good beating. For Wanda, they just took away her thoughts with way too many drugs. He tried to find out what it was, maybe that was the only way he could do something, but he was useless. He  _ felt  _ useless.  _

_ It wasn’t exactly pleasant for any of them, but this wasn’t the first time Wanda had done this. She had been here before, just in Sokovia. But this time, she was completely, absolutely  _ alone.  _ At least, that’s what she thought. Clint knew that by the look on her face, he had seen it on his own for years, before Laura.  _ God _ , Laura. How many times had he promised it would be the last ‘project?’ That was what he called it now, he was too cowardly to even admit the mental torture and weight he was putting on her. They probably called her by now, if Stark hadn’t already. He imagined the familiar, disappointed, worried look on her face and he shut it away. Instead, he simply focused on Wanda’s body directly in front of him.  _

_ When Stark came, it was obvious he’d tried to do something, but like previously stated: Wanda could easily settle the entire prison into dust. That straight jacket wasn’t going anywhere. The same couldn’t be said for her, because he saw two sets of guards suddenly walking through the gates, and into the cell block. But, they weren’t walking towards Sam, and they weren’t walking towards Scott, and they  _ weren’t  _ walking towards him. They stood before Wanda’s cell, and all three of the others raised their heads at the same time, and it was clear, due to Ross standing beside her cage, that something was about to happen. “Hey.” Sam spoke first as the roof to her cell opened, and Clint saw the subdued, frightened expression on her face, and how half of her body tried to move away from the entrance, but she just  _ didn’t  _ have the strength. They’d just given her a new dose, so… her body was weak, and could barely even move. It was a heavy dose, and he suddenly felt some sort of paternal anger rise in him. For Wanda. “What are you doin’?” Sam asked, standing and at the same time, Clint did the same thing.  _

_ Wanda didn’t look at the guards, she didn’t look at Ross, or Scott, or Sam. Her eyes connected with Clint’s, and in a second, there was a speech that took place between them. “Clint?” She whispered, and he could barely hear her, but he did. He stood, his hands wrapping around the bars of his cage and his eyebrows furrowed together tightly, like he was trying to merge them with his eyes. “What are you doing?” She whispered, looking towards the men approaching her and she broke the look at Clint, inspecting them. Both of them had heavy, bullet-proof armor, and she felt a rush of self-disgust run through her. Was she that deadly that this was necessary? Because they were looking at her like some sort of monster.  _

_ “You’re being moved to a different cell block, after outside evaluation from the U.S. government.” Wanda looked into Ross’ eyes, and there was fear. Before she could say anything, each of the two men took one of her arms roughly, and tried to drag her out of the confined space. Her eyes widened and she fought against them, but like said earlier: they’d just given her a new dose. It was barely a fight. “Don’t resist.” Ross spoke coldly, and he turned around, not bothering to watch the outcome. Wanda almost felt relief when he left the room, but there were still two guards trying to shove her out.  _

_ “S-stop!” She argued, but when she tried to fight, she was so unused to moving that Wanda almost tripped.  _

_ Clint's fingers held the bar so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and he watched silently as very slowly, she was being dragged out of the cell block. Wanda was resisting, and it was clear the only thing keeping her sane, and making her feel  _ somewhat  _ safe was being with the others… was still being with Clint. She trusted him before all of this, and he was almost like a sense of normalcy to her. But now, even that was being taken away. “Hey, hey! Let her go!” Clint bared his teeth, and Wanda met his eyes again as they tried to drag her out, and for the first time, she was actively  _ asking  _ for help, when almost always, she’d deny it in the first place. “Let her go!” He repeated, and his voice was loud, and he was banging against the bars, but they didn’t even look at him. Suddenly, the speakers that made his voice play out through the cell block was cut off, and his cage was deemed soundproof. “ _ Hey! _ HEY!” He called louder, but it sounded silent to anyone beside him.  _

_ Wanda’s eyes stayed connected with his, and he saw the absolute fear and desperation in her doe eyes, and she looked like a deer caught in headlights. “Kid!” He called, banging his fists against the bars once again, and it looked like the sound of the others had been cut off as well, but they weren’t fighting as much as he was. “WANDA!” He roared, but still, his voice had been taken from him. He heard a singular whisper of his name from her lips, but soon, she was out of sight, and he leaned his forehead against the bars, wanting to strike something. “Fuck!” He called, slamming his fist against the wall of the cell and leaving a small dent in the concrete. “Fuck.”  _ Clint needed her, he realized. 

“You survived!” Wanda cheered, smiling at Vision as he entered the room again and he grinned, shaking his head. “Wasn’t sure if he’d come and killed you through the phone.” She laughed softly, and even though it was probably only seven or eight at night, she was already hidden under the covers of the comforters. The news was on instead of her usual sitcoms, and of course, as usual their faces were on it, but when Vision sat beside her, he took the remote and switched on the sitcoms. 

She had watched them each night in the almost three months that they were alone, and ‘together,’ -they still hadn’t labeled anything, Wanda just thought of the words Vision had said almost two months ago; _‘I want to give this a chance, to see if… if this works. Here. Us.’_ There. That was the label. _‘Us.’_ Wanda thought that was a good label. “Oh, urm… we hadn’t finished the episode from last night, I was curious.” She laughed softly under her breath and nodded, and almost like it had become a naturality to both of them all of a sudden, they, at the same time, reached for each other as they settled under the blankets. Vision carefully rested his arm around her, like he had the previous night. And she laid her head on his chest and they both watched the television, but he watched her vitals, and her heart rate increased. She felt his heartbeat quicken beneath him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, this was quite a long chapter, but I had a lot I wanted to get done. I've been wanting to build on Clint and Wanda's relationship for a while, they're honestly (probably) my favorite platonic relationship in the MCU, so I really love writing them. Plus, I don't want this to JUST be Wanda/Vision, I want it to be a written version of Wanda's story, and that includes more than just them. So, when I got these requests to do it, (honestly the stuff you guys had was absolutely amazing) i went with it :3 there'll be an update by monday, since this took like 2-3 days to churn out due to how long it was. Anyway, enough ranting, hope you enjoyed <3 request are still open, and like I said, update in a few days. have a good weekend <3


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